Final Fantasy XIII
by Emerald Princess of Vernea
Summary: The first instalment of a novelisation of Final Fantasy XIII. All credit goes to SquareEnix for creating this game.
1. Part 1: Chapter 1

_**DISCLAIMER**_

_Grace Barton does not own Final Fantasy XIII and is not associated with it or its creators in any way. This is a novelisation of the game and Grace only lays claim to the written form and original scenes and dialogue that do not appear in the game. Everything else is copyrighted to SquareEnix, the creators of Final Fantasy XIII._

* * *

**Final Fantasy XIII [1****st**** Instalment]**

**Grace Barton**

**Part One: Defiers of Fate**

**Chapter 01**

The day of the Purge was one that would not be forgotten by the people of Cocoon. The Purge marked the beginning of the end—the start of a series of days so dark that Cocoon and all its inhabitants would be driven to the brink of total destruction.

The discovery of a Pulse fal'Cie in the town of Bodhum sent panic shooting through the populace like wildfire. In order to quell the rising panic, the Sanctum—Cocoon's ruling body—had sent in their troops and placed all of Bodhum under quarantine. Nobody was allowed to enter, and nobody was allowed to leave.

Then there came the announcement of the Purge. Under the Sanctum's orders, all citizens residing in Bodhum were rounded up and shipped off to the Hanging Edge. There they would be relocated to the lower-world of Pulse, never again to set foot on Cocoon.

The train that Sazh Katzroy was on was the last to leave Bodhum. He, along with the rest of Bodhum's residents, had been forced to don special Purge robes. These robes marked him and everyone else as one of those contaminated by Pulse.

All around him, nobody spoke. Nobody even dared to look up. They just sat there in silent rows, their hands bound in electronic locks, and the hoods of their robes pulled low over their heads. The few faces that Sazh had managed to glimpse were filled with worry and despair. These were people who had lost all hope and had resigned themselves to their fate.

It was amazing how quickly everything had changed. One day these people were going about their normal lives in peaceful bliss, and now they were being shipped off Cocoon, branded as enemies of the state.

The tracks made a sharp dip downward, heading deeper into the valley. Tall cliffs on either side cast a shadow onto the tracks, but that was nothing compared to the shadows that were cast inside.

The door to the train car opened as a soldier walked in. At the sight of his full-body armour and metal face-mask with its glowing eyes, which marked him as a member of PSICOM, everyone in the car stiffened and shrank further into their seats. Those who had managed to rise out of their despair long enough to raise their heads quickly changed their minds, content to continue looking at the floor.

The soldier stood in the doorway for a moment, looking around at the deportees. They were a quiet bunch, just like all the others. All those who had fought against the Purge had lost their will once they had got onto the train. Not that the soldier was complaining: it made shipping them out much easier.

He walked into the car, the door closing behind him. His fingers drummed the barrel of the rifle he carried—for protection, in case the deportees tried to resist. The soldier tried to look into their faces, but no one dared to look up at him.

The train reached the base of the cliffs. There a wide tunnel had been carved into the side of the mountain, taking the train deep beneath the ground. This was the old route into the Hanging Edge—an area that had been closed off to civilians since the War of Transgression decimated this part of Cocoon centuries before.

Recognising the change in the sound of the tracks as they entered the cliffs, Sazh realised that they were drawing close to their destination. After taking a cautious look over at the pacing soldier, he turned his attention back to the woman sitting next to him.

"You serious?" he asked her.

The woman, also shackled and dressed in Purge robes, shot him a scathing glance. "Be quiet," she said in a low voice.

Sazh took another look at the soldier, who had stopped to point his gun at a deportee who had found the courage to glare at him. Sighing, Sazh looked back at the ground. "Best of luck," he whispered.

The woman did not reply. She was a complete enigma, ever since she boarded the Purge train in Bodhum. She did not say much, and Sazh did not even know her name. Then, out of the blue, she told him this 'plan' of hers. It sounded crazy, but it was better than sitting around and doing nothing. Besides, she certainly seemed the type who could take care of herself, so who was he to try and stop her?

The train headed on through the tunnel. Up ahead a secure energy barrier marked the entrance to the perimeter of the Hanging Edge. The train slammed through the barrier, causing all the attached cars to rock on the tracks. The civilians cried out as they were almost thrown out of their seats, and the PSICOM soldier lost his balance and stumbled onto the floor.

Using the moment to her advantage, the woman sitting next to Sazh leapt out of her seat. She ran at the soldier, who only had time to raise his head before she pounced on him. Grasping his collar with her shackled hands, she flung herself over him and forced him onto the floor. His fall caused him to drop a control box he had been carrying. The woman slammed her boot onto it, crushing it beneath her heel.

With the box destroyed, the shackles binding her hands unlocked and fell clear. At the same time everyone else's handcuffs unlocked, releasing them from their bondage.

Sazh jumped to his feet, his eyes widening as the cuffs dropped from his wrists. "She did it," he cried.

More people were out of their seats now, exclaiming in joy at their sudden freedom. Those cries then turned to ones of fear as the car door opened and another two soldiers rushed in. The moment they saw the woman standing in the car with the fallen soldier at her feet, they raised their weapons and opened fire.

Except that the woman was no longer there. The moment she saw them raise their weapons she had leapt clear of the gunfire, leaving her Purge cloak behind her. The cloak flittered to the ground, riddled with bullet holes.

Landing in front of the soldiers, she dropped down and delivered a sweeping upward kick to the face of one of the soldiers that sent him crashing to the floor. Once he was down she rose to face the other soldier, who raised his gun to fire at her. Before he could pull the trigger the woman grabbed the gun and pushed it down before smashing her elbow into his face.

With all the soldiers down, the civilians were free to leave their seats. Most of them headed down to the rear of the car, while others looked around in bewilderment, wondering what they should do.

As for the woman, she did not go with the rest of the deportees. Snatching up the gun from the soldier she had just bashed in the face, she hurried through the door into the waiting area where they had come from. She stopped outside another door—the door leading into the next car. After checking that the gun was ready she threw open the door and ran through, firing the gun as she did so.

At first the car appeared empty, and the bullets clanged against empty seats. Then a single PSICOM soldier jumped out from behind one of the chairs. He ran at her and was about to open fire, but she struck him first. After delivering a sweeping kick to knock him off-balance she fired several rounds into his chest that knocked him down for good.

* * *

Now that Sazh was free from his shackles, he was able to assist the other deportees in escaping the car. He too had ditched the cloak that marked him as a member of the Purge, feeling much more comfortable in his usual olive coat that, for him, was much more distinctive.

Sazh was about to follow the other deportees out of the car when he noticed a small boy sitting alone one on the floor. Separated from his parents and too scared to move, he now sat lost and forlorn while the rest of the people fled. Sazh did not even hesitate. He ran back into the car and knelt down in front of the boy.

"You all right?" he asked, putting a hand on the boy's shoulder.

The boy hesitated before looking up. Seeing suspicion and fear in his eyes, Sazh quickly added: "I'm not a l'Cie."

The boy did not seem inclined to believe him. Then Sazh's afro rustled and a small creature emerged. It was a baby chocobo. Small and fluffy, it rode about in Sazh's hair in place of its mother. The boy's eyes lit up when he saw it, and he smiled at Sazh. Taking the older man's hand, he let himself be led out of the car.

* * *

More soldiers rushed into the car. The woman clicked her fingers, activating her AMP Gravity Manipulation Cloak. A wave of electricity swept over her body, covering her just like a cloak and making her long, pink hair shimmer. She jumped at the soldier, and the cloak defied gravity to propel her through the air towards him. She slammed into the soldier, forcing him up against the wall.

Another soldier was running up from the other end of the car. The woman pushed herself off the wall. Like before the cloak carried her right through the air. Just as they were about to collide, the woman twisted her body and kicked him in the face.

Planting her feet on the ceiling, the woman raised her gun and opened fire on another soldier who was just running into the car. Lifting the other gun she had taken from the soldier she had just kicked down, she fired another few shots into the head of another soldier running up behind her. With each shot she fired, the electricity covering her body buzzed and crackled, appearing just like the natural phenomenon that was also her name.

Lightning.

Only one soldier remained in the car now. He stood frozen, watching Lightning as she stood upside down on the ceiling. The change in view did not seem to disorientate her at all as she turned to face him, raised her gun and fired several shots into his helmet.

* * *

While Lightning was busy dealing with the soldiers, Sazh and the other civilians made it to the end of the car. The train was still moving, which meant it was impossible for them to leave just yet, but they were safer down here than they were up front.

To Sazh's surprise, most of the civilians were not content to sit and wait in the car. Inspired by the woman's brave retaliation against the soldiers condemning them to exile, they too wanted to stand up and fight for their right to remain in the home they loved.

In the car, Sazh found a hidden stash of weapons. They were all PSICOM-issue and equipped with the most advanced AMP technology and manadrives that allowed ordinary humans to replicate some of the magic wielded by the fal'Cie and their l'Cie servants. Almost all weapons on Cocoon were powered by manadrives, but the weapons used by PSICOM were the most advanced.

He assisted the volunteers in selecting their weapons. Most of the weaponry was far too advanced for these civilians, who were simply townspeople and not soldiers, but it was better than having nothing. As for himself, he chose a bazooka as his weapon, and strapped two further portable rockets to his back. It was not entirely necessary, for he had his trusty companions—his _Vega 42_ pistols—strapped to his thighs. However, he figured that the more equipped he was the better in the fight to come, and so he took everything he could carry.

Once he and all the other volunteers were equipped and ready, Sazh unlocked the doors and headed out. He led the group back towards the front of the train. He was relieved to see that there were no soldiers around to stop them, which meant that the woman had already dealt with them.

"So far, so good," he breathed.

They reached the foremost car. Here they found Lightning standing over the bodies of more soldiers she had slain and for a moment Sazh was taken aback. This woman had single-handedly eliminated all the PSICOM soldiers on the train! He came to a stop behind her and nodded his head to the civilians behind him.

"They all want to fight," he told her.

Lightning did not look back. She threw down the spent guns she had taken from the guards and drew her own weapon—a Sanctum-issue gunblade known as a _Blazefire Sabre_. The weapon was able to change shape between a gun and a sword and was used only by the highly-skilled—for Sazh this was further proof that this woman was more than she appeared.

Clasping the gunblade in her hands, Lightning scowled. "Good for them," she said.

A loud explosion sounded from outside. Everybody shrieked as the train rocked and they ducked onto the floor. Everyone that is, except for Lightning.

Throwing open the side door, Lightning peered ahead. The train had just emerged from the tunnel and they were now arriving at their destination. Only it was not an abandoned city that Lightning saw when she looked ahead.

It was a warzone.

The Hanging Edge was built in a large, secluded cavern at Cocoon's outer rim. Once a thriving urban district, it had been left derelict since the war that almost wrenched Cocoon from her home in the skies. Now the dead city was alive again, home to yet another fierce battle.

As Lightning watched, a number of high-speed battle cruisers went zipping overhead. They turned in the air, making their way through the vast network of bridges and pathways that wound throughout the city.

When the train came out of the tunnel, several of these battleships turned and headed towards it. They flew alongside the train and then opened fire on the rear cars. Sazh gasped in horror as one by one the cars exploded into a shower of smoke and flames, remembering all those who were waiting inside.

After completing their assault, the ships pulled away from the train. Lightning watched as they moved ahead of the train and then turned to begin a second approach, with the head of the train as their target. Knowing she had to act fast, Lightning turned to Sazh, who was standing behind her.

"Give me that," she snapped.

She snatched the bazooka from his hands. Before Sazh could protest, she aimed the weapon and fired at the ships. The projectile hit the foremost ship and the craft exploded in a cloud of smoke. The explosion was enough to disorientate the rest of the ships and they were forced to fly out of the way. The train ploughed straight through the smoke and falling debris and continued on its way.

The cruisers pulled away. As they did so, several aerial warmechs burst through the smoke and began to chase after the train. These automated war machines were built to resemble winged scorpions and, complete with their manadrive-powered engines, were a fierce and deadly opponent.

But these machines did not bother Lightning. Taking aim again, she fired another shot from the bazooka. Most of the mechs swerved out of the way, but one held its ground and flew after them. Electricity crackled in its 'mouth' as it powered up its main weapon. It fired and sent a stream of lightning down onto the tracks.

When the blast hit the train the rear cars exploded and lifted off the tracks. The connectors holding the cars together could not take the strain and snapped. With nothing left to hold it down, the car spun until it crashed into an archway. It then slid off the tracks and plummeted down into the depths below. Sazh closed his eyes, feeling sympathy for those who were lost.

It was not just the train that was under attack. In all parts of the Hanging Edge, people were fighting for their lives. People who had never even held a weapon before had taken up arms to fight against the PSICOM soldiers who were trying to expel them from their homes. It was a full-scale revolt—with civilians versus soldiers, and the price being freedom to live.

Sazh watched as a group of civilians on the lower levels hid behind the burning ruins of Purge trains—trains no doubt destroyed by the warmechs—firing shots up at the upper levels. Sazh turned his attention to these upper levels and he saw the PSICOM soldiers firing back down at them.

The scene was the same all around them. Everywhere Sazh looked, the air was filled with smoke and the sounds of gunfire. What was meant to be a peaceful relocation to Pulse had turned into a massacre. The deportees had revolted, and the army would not stop until they had obliterated every last one of them.

He watched as a PSICOM soldier some distance below them activated a transgate—a special warp gate used for the transportation of soldiers and mechs from one part of Cocoon to another. The gate's blue surface shimmered and crackled with lightning as three Pantherons jumped out of it and landed on the path in front of him. These mechanical beasts were as agile and vicious as the real thing, and bounded away from the soldiers in search of their targets.

The soldier activated the gate again. This time the metal bars of the gate separated and expanded to make the gate larger as a Beta Behemoth jumped through. Also a mechanical beast, the Beta Behemoth was even fiercer than the Pantherons and was difficult to control even for PSICOM. Ripping its sharp, double-pronged blade from its head, the beast rose onto its hind legs and roared, causing all those around it to back away in fear.

Sazh tore his attention away from the events below and looked back to the sky as a Manasvin Warmech flew in. With the bazooka now spent, Lightning threw it down and hurried back inside the train in search of another weapon.

Before she could find one, the warmech drew its wings inwards and dropped into a dive. It swooped low over the train and then crashed onto it. Its added weight forced the train to slow down and scrap along the tracks, creating sparks. The engine heaved as it tried to keep on going. Eventually it gave out and the train came to a stop.

With its target now immobilised, the warmech raised its tail and stabbed it through the roof, causing Sazh and Lightning to duck down onto the floor. Withdrawing its tail, the mech then slashed it through the car, almost severing it in two.

Sazh brushed a piece of debris from his jacket and turned to Lightning. "Run!" he shouted to her.

Instead of running, Lightning looked up at the ceiling. The mech's initial strike had created a large hole in the roof, leading straight out onto the top of the train. Grasping her gunblade in her hands, Lightning jumped over the debris and made a dash towards the hole.

"I meant away!" cried Sazh.

Lightning did not listen. She reached the hole and, without any hesitation at all, jumped through.

* * *

_**A Note from the Authoress**_

Welcome to my novelisation of Final Fantasy 13! If anyone's already looked at my other novelisations, you will know that I use the original game scripts in my stories, so this shouldn't be a surprise to you. To anyone who is new to my stories, I use the game script as a means of staying on track. I write these stories for writing practice and personal enjoyment, and nothing more.

I have, however, begun to diverge from using game scripts. My novelisations of Koudelka and Shadow Hearts are such examples where I have broken my habit of writing straight from the scripts. These are my main experiments to see if I can drop this habit for future projects. This story, however, will use the original script. From the way things are looking, it will be the last one where I do.

I hope you enjoy.


	2. Part 1: Chapter 2

**Final Fantasy XIII [1****st**** Instalment]**

**Grace Barton**

**Chapter Two**

Sazh grunted as he climbed over the smoking debris. He tried not to look behind him, for he knew what he would see. The bodies of several civilians were scattered about the car, either cut apart by the warmech's tail or crushed beneath fallen chunks of metal.

Was this really what the Sanctum wanted? Sazh asked himself. To have innocent civilians who had done nothing wrong but live unknowingly near a Pulse fal'Cie slaughtered like common criminals?

His answer came in the form of a metallic screech. Looking up, Sazh saw Lightning standing in front of the warmech. The woman had transformed her gunblade into its sword form and was holding it out towards the mech. She raised her blade and held it up, ready for battle. Sazh blinked in surprise. Was she planning on fighting that thing?

The warmech responded to Lightning's challenge by rising off the roof. Spreading its arms, Sazh saw that it had four jagged blades attached to each arm, each one whirling so fast they sounded like buzzing wings. The scorpion-like tail it had used to cut through the train rose and curled above it, as though preparing to strike. The mech then cut its engines and slammed down onto the train. Sazh lost his balance as the car shook, and he fell back onto the floor.

"Hey, hey, hey!" he said, as the warmech turned towards him and Lightning. "Let's be rational now!"

It seemed the warmech did not understand, for it began to scuttle towards them. Sazh scrabbled back and ducked as the warmech swung one bladed arm towards him and Lightning. The woman backflipped out of the way and then raised her sword, her expression unchanging.

"They're sending in the big guns now," remarked Sazh as he stood up beside her. "What do we do?"

Lightning's lips pressed into a firm line. "Watch and learn," she said.

The warmech stopped scuttling and raised its arms. The jagged blades spun faster, creating an electric charge. It swung one arm at Lightning, who jumped back out of its reach. Then, raising her blade, she ran into battle.

"Hey, hey!" yelled Sazh. "Are you crazy!?"

Lightning ignored him. She ducked as the mech swung its arm at her and then leapt into the air. Transforming her weapon back into a gun, she fired several shots down onto the warmech's head. The bullets clanged off the metal, and the mech retaliated by swinging its other arm at her. Lightning landed on the mech's head and then jumped clear of the swinging arm.

Twisting her body in the air, she turned her weapon back into a blade and slashed it right down on the arm's joints. She had intended for the blade to cut right through the metal but instead her blade slipped clear, leaving only a scrape.

The mech shuffled forwards. It swung its arm again and Lightning raised her sword into a defensive position. The arm slammed against her, and the whirling blades screeched as they scraped against the sword. Sparks flickered and flashed, and Lightning grunted as she strained to keep the blades at bay.

"Hey!" she shouted, and Sazh jumped as he realised she was addressing him. "You gonna stand there all day or are you gonna fight?" She pulled back her weapon, jumped clear of the blades, and then ran in to strike again.

Sazh watched her, his emotions a mixture of admiration and apprehension. This woman was by far the most unusual woman he had ever met. She was young, far younger than he, but she took on the warmech with as much courage as a warrior far beyond her years. He would have considered her reckless, but he also saw the skill and confidence with which she carried both herself and her blade. In that instant he saw that she believed herself to be a match for this war machine, and his respect for her rose.

He looked down at his own weapons; his two trusty pistols. He started to take them out of their holsters, but his hands hesitated. It wasn't that he was afraid to fight. This machine was a tool of war—part of the Sanctum and Cocoon. To take up arms against it would be to take up arms against the whole of Cocoon. The Sanctum had ordered the Purge, but they had made the decision for the safety of the rest of Cocoon.

The sound of gunshots drew his attention back to the battle. He watched Lightning as she landed on the mech's arm and then dived towards the mech's face. She raised her blade high and brought it crashing down on the armour-plating. The mech flinched beneath the attack and started to scuttle back.

Lightning lowered her blade a little. In that instant the warmech rushed forward and swung its arm. Lightning only just raised her sword in time before the whirling blades slammed into her. She gave a yell as she was forced back. Her boot caught against a piece of jutting metal, and she fell back onto the floor.

The moment she hit the ground, the warmech surged forward again. It lifted its tail, and electricity began to flow around the tip.

Now Sazh did not hesitate. He pulled out his pistols and fired four shots into the tail. The first shot missed; the second and third struck the tip and forced it back. When the last shot landed it caused the energy to turn back on itself and send it shooting back into the machine. Electricity crackled around the warmech, and it began to tremble.

Now back on her feet, Lightning raised her blade. Her face showed little emotion, and her eyes were fixed only on the warmech. She tensed, preparing to charge.

Before she could move, the electricity covering the mech flashed and died out. The Manasvin Warmech then leapt into the air above them. Sazh scrabbled back but Lightning held her ground, for she saw that the machine was not aiming to strike at them.

The mech descended and slammed onto the tracks. Its spinning blades stopped whirling and folded against its arms as it clamped them around the sides of the car. There was a heave as the mech began to apply pressure, and the car shook.

Lightning's eyes widened as she realised what was happening. "Fall back!" she ordered. She turned and ran.

Sazh wasted no time in questioning her. Obeying her orders, he followed her back along the car.

The train gave a lurch. Sazh's feet slipped and he almost fell. His ears buzzed with the sound of the gunfire still going on around him. In the midst of his own battle, he had almost forgotten that he was still in a warzone. For now he pushed all thoughts of the other battles out of his mind, and kept his eyes focused on Lightning.

When they reached the edge of the car, the shaking ceased. Lightning and Sazh both stopped and looked back at the warmech. It too had stopped. Lights on its face flashed to indicate its confusion.

Sazh let out a laugh. "Not so tough now, huh?" he joked.

In response, the warmech gripped the car again. Its engines hummed. There was then a loud _whoosh_ as jets fired up on the back of its arms. The shaking restarted in earnest, this time more violently, and the car began to rise from the tracks.

"Hey," Sazh said to the mech, stepping backwards. "That wasn't like a challenge, now. All right?"

The machine ignored him. Sazh flicked his gaze over to Lightning, who had raised her weapon again. Sazh called out to her, but she paid him no attention either. She bent her knees, preparing herself to charge. The car then gave another lurch as it was lifted another few inches from the tracks. A loud whir from the warmech's engines showed the effort it took to lift the car from the tracks. The machine began to stretch up, lifting the car higher and higher. It then began to tilt the car to the side, preparing to hurl it over the side of the tracks.

"Time to go!" cried Sazh, and turned to run.

Lightning was already moving. When the car tilted it caused her to slip and slide downward. Instead of fighting against it Lightning crouched down low and moved with it. She was gaining speed, so she thrust her blade into the roof. The added friction slowed her descent, but not by much.

When she realised that her attempts to slow her fall were failing, Lightning changed tactics and jumped. She landed on the rails running along the roof of the car and skidded down them. When she neared the end of them she jumped again, this time to land on the roof of the next car.

She looked back. The car was almost vertical now. Sazh was still some distance behind, running down towards her.

"I'm coming!" he shouted.

The car gave another jerk as it lifted up. Sazh cried out and almost toppled over.

"Jump!" ordered Lightning.

Obeying her command, Sazh jumped. At that very moment the connectors holding the two cars together snapped. Sazh landed on the car next to Lightning, the impact causing him to fall onto his knees. He groaned in pain. There was a movement of yellow above him as the chocobo chick floated down beside him, its wings raised in triumph. Sazh glanced at the chick and let out a small chuckle.

"Heads up," came Lightning's voice.

Sazh got to his feet. The chick fluttered up and hid in his hair. Sazh turned, and he gasped as he saw the train car was now completely vertical.

The Manasvin Warmech must have realised they were no longer on it, for it released the car and let it drop back to the ground. Its rear engines powered up and the mech rose from the tracks.

Lightning raised her gunblade. "This thing won't give up!" she cursed.

She and Sazh were forced to back up as the warmech flew over the car and dropped onto it. The air was then filled with the sound of buzzing as its blades moved back into place. Its tail, still crackling with electricity, moved arched into an attack position. Energy began to gather around its tip, preparing to finish what it had started before.

"Move!" ordered Lightning.

She gave Sazh a shove. This knocked him off-balance more than urging him to move, but it was enough. He tumbled sideways just as the tail released a thin stream of energy. It hit the car and went straight through the roof, leaving only a burning hole behind. Once the energy was discharged the tail relaxed again. Lightning saw her moment and rushed forward.

Trying not to think of the survivors who may have gotten in the way of that blast, Sazh raised his guns. He covered Lightning as she leapt, quite literally, into the attack. The arms with their spinning blades swung for her, but Sazh knocked them back with a few rounds from his gun.

With her way clear, Lightning leapt into the air. She landed on the head of the mech. She slashed her blade across its head. Sparks flickered around the blade as she pulled it clear. Catching only a glimpse of movement was enough to force Lightning to jump clear, only seconds before one of the arms came in to strike her. Transforming her weapon into its gun form, she discharged several rounds before she landed on the car. The weapon then turned back into its sword as she ran in again for a second strike.

One of the arms came swinging towards her. Sazh tried to shoot it aside, but Lightning was too close for him to get a clean shot. This time Lightning did not stop to keep the blades at bay. Moments before the blades would have slashed her to ribbons she suddenly stopped and jumped back. Before the arm could retreat she then ran forward and grabbed onto the arm. Using its movements to propel her, Lightning threw herself into the air.

The tail flicked as it moved towards her. Lightning twisted her body to the side. She held her breath as the tail's sharp point skimmed past her, tugging at her clothing but not ripping them. Once she knew she was not going to be impaled she raised her sword and brought it crashing down onto the tail's mid-section. The blade cut right through and severed the tail from the body.

If the warmech was capable of feeling pain, it would have thrashed at the loss of its limb. Unfortunately it was a machine and therefore not capable of feeling. Still, it registered the loss of its tail with some confusion, turning its head as it tried to comprehend what had happened.

As Lightning landed on the car behind the warmech, she ran over and brought her sword down on the point where the tail joined the rest of the body. This time it took her two attempts, but once she was done the rest of the limb was severed and lying useless on the ground.

The Manasvin Warmech had adjusted to the loss of its tail by now. It started to turn towards her. A volley of shots rang out and slammed against its head. The warmech jolted to a stop and turned back towards Sazh. The pilot was inching closer as his bravery rose and taking more risky shots.

Turning its back on Lightning, the warmech swung back around to face the pilot. One of the arms came swinging towards him and Sazh jumped back, letting out a sigh of relief when the blades missed him. The mech then lurched forward and thrust out its other arm. Unable to jump back in time, Sazh dropped onto his back. His ears filled with the drone of the spinning blades, and his eyes widened at the sight of them passing over his prostrate body.

The warmech withdrew its arm. Realising that it had missed its target, the lights on its face flickered—annoyance, perhaps?

Then the lights flashed all at once. The warmech spread its legs and hunched down with its upper half leaning slightly forward. Sazh sat up and watched as a thin split, like a crack, appeared in the centre of its head. At first he thought the mech was splitting apart. The crack grew wider, and Sazh realised that it was not splitting apart, but opening up.

The head opened up into two halves. Behind the head was an energy cannon. It hummed as it began to power up. Energy began to crackle around the barrel, and the air grew hot. Unable to do anything else, Sazh scrabbled back.

"Hey, hey, hey!" he yelled at the mech. "Don't be doing that now, all right!"

The mech paid no attention. The energy glowed bright as it was drawn into the barrel. It hunched down lower, the barrel pointing right at him.

Sazh looked around him. He was on a train car; there was nowhere else for him to go. Even if he jumped off the train, all that awaited him was a long drop.

_Is this it?_

The energy grew even brighter. Sazh closed his eyes and braced himself for the inevitable blast.

A cry then burst through the hum of the cannon. Sazh's eyes opened just as Lightning jumped up from behind the mech, her sword raised above her head. She turned it downward as she descended, and when she landed she thrust it deep into the top of its head. The warmech shuddered and tilted back. The cannon fired, releasing a wide stream of blue-white energy into the air. It missed Sazh and shot upwards, striking an airship that was flying overheard. The airship burst into flame and fell from the sky.

Now the warmech was screeching. It rose up on its legs and thrashed, trying to throw the woman off its head. It lifted its arms to cut her down but Lightning pulled her sword free and jumped clear. She brought her sword down as she landed, slicing through the cannon and the inner mechanics.

Steam and fire burst out from within the mech. Lightning jumped back and raised her sword. Sazh got to his feet and raised his guns. They stood together, waiting for the mech's next move.

There would be no next move. The warmech screeched and began to shudder. Its metal plating grew hot, turning pink first and then to a deep red. Its shudders grew more violent into powerful convulsions. The blades stuttered before coming to a complete stop.

A wracking explosion came from within the machine. Smoke burst outwards, followed by more flames that engulfed the mech from head to foot. In one last attempt the mech tried to get itself off the ground, but its engines failed and it slammed onto the car again. The lights of its face flickered out. Now off-balance and without power, the mech toppled sideways. It fell from the train and down into the depths of the Hanging Edge, its cries fading into silence.

Relief washed over Sazh. He fell back onto the ground. His lungs ached and he realised that he had been holding his breath. He took a few deep breaths. "Oh goodness," he panted, wiping the sweat from his brow. "Whew! We did it."

Lightning did not reply. She walked to the edge of the car. Kneeling down, she peered over the edge. The warmech was defeated, but the battle was still raging all around them. Even as she watched, several more Manasvin Warmechs and other battleships flew past and opened fire on some target ahead.

She stood up, her expression grim. Closing up her gunblade, she slipped it back into its holster. She then turned her back on the battle and walked towards the front of the train.

"Aren't you supposed to protect civilians, Soldier?" said a voice behind her.

Lightning paused. She had almost forgotten about Sazh. The older pilot grunted as he got to his feet. He narrowed his eyes at her.

"I mean you are Sanctum, aren't you?" he asked. "What're you doing trying to stop the Purge? Why don't you tell me that?"

Lightning's head spun around, and the pilot flinched under her gaze.

"I _was_ a soldier," she corrected. Turning away, she began to walk again.

Sazh stared after her. He was about to question her further when she suddenly broke into a run and jumped off the end of the car.

"Hey," he called, running after her, "where do you think you're going?"

But Lightning ignored him. She landed on a pile of debris in front of the train. She carried on jumping until she reached the foot of the train. The, without any hesitation or looking to see if the way was safe, she began to walk out along the tracks.

Watching her go, Sazh sighed. This woman really was something else. At least he had guessed right about her being a soldier, or a former soldier. She had not revealed why she had interfered in the Purge, though. Sazh wondered just what her angle was. She had to have one. No person threw themselves into battle without some reason.

He felt a rustle in his hair. Sazh held out his hands as the chocobo chick flew out and landed in his palms.

"Chocobo, we just can't catch a break, can we?" he asked. "The chick chirped in reply, its dark eyes wide. "Yeah, that's a good question," he said in answer.

He lowered his hand. The chick flew around him.

"Oh well…" the pilot said with a sigh. "Better follow her."

He knelt at the edge of the car and, after testing the stability of the debris, began to climb down.

"I'm getting too old for this," he muttered.


	3. Part 1: Chapter 3

**Final Fantasy XIII [1****st**** Instalment]**

**Grace Barton**

**Chapter Three**

"You sure we can get through here?" Sazh asked.

The woman in front of him did not reply. Sazh sighed and ran a hand through his hair. There was a small chirp of protest, and Sazh withdrew his hand. The chocobo chick stuck its head out, chirped again, and then settled down once more.

He had hoped that now they were off the train and away from the immediate danger the soldier would open up and reveal her angle to him. Now he felt a fool for thinking that, for it was clear that Lightning all but resented his presence. At least, that was the impression that he got. Lightning paid him no attention, and his attempts to draw her into a conversation fell upon deaf ears.

All Sazh saw of her was her back as she continued to run on ahead of him. Her movements were solid and seemingly without effort. She did not appear to tire. Unlike Sazh, who was already huffing and puffing for breath. His lungs began to ache with their need for air, and dark spots danced in front of his eyes. The only thing keeping him going was the young woman running in front of him. He did not want to lose sight of her. So he focused only on her and kept on running.

Around him, he heard the sounds of war. He had never heard such a sound before except on television. He recalled one show he had seen a few years back. The show portrayed the War of Transgression, when Cocoon was at war with Pulse. The battles were very lifelike and had sparked such a sensational amount of controversy (both through its scenes and its representation of Pulse) that it was cancelled within a few weeks. Sazh never thought that he would see such a scene in real life.

He was broken from his thoughts as an airship flew overhead. It opened fire, and Sazh threw himself onto the tracks. A loud explosion ripped through the tracks, smashing through a wall of debris ahead of him. Raising his head, Sazh looked at the smouldering pile of rubble left behind.

_Who am I kidding,_ he thought. _We're in immediate danger every second we stay here._

Lightning, however, was not bothered by the attack. Without breaking her pace she ran right into the pile of burning rubble and disappeared into the smoke.

Not wanting to be left behind, Sazh jumped to his feet and followed her. When he passed through the rubble, covering his mouth from the smoke, he sighed and shook his head.

"This is a mess is what this is," he whispered.

He came through the other side of the debris, coughing. When he could not see Lightning nearby he started to panic, until he spotted her some distance ahead. She was crouching behind another large chunk of debris and had her sword in her hand as she peered around the side.

"Hey," said Sazh, approaching her. "What's got you spooked?"

Lightning's head snapped around to face him. Her gaze was so intense that Sazh stepped back. Lightning put her finger to her lips and nodded her head to the path ahead.

On the other side of the debris were two PSICOM soldiers. Seeing them, Sazh clamped his hand over his mouth. He crouched down as low as he could go and crawled over to Lightning. When he reached her he let out a sigh of relief, his heart racing. _I'm too old for this,_ he thought again. Pushing those thoughts out of his mind, Sazh copied Lightning and peered out.

The soldiers had not noticed their presence. They appeared quite relaxed as they paced along the tracks, with their guns pressed across their chests. Sazh thought it was an odd place for them to be posted. _Perhaps they're here to stop any escapees from the train,_ he wondered. _Like us._

He was about to ask Lightning what they should do when she jumped up and ran out. He called after her and tried to grab her cloak, but the fabric slipped from his fingers.

The sound of his voice alerted the soldiers. They turned and, seeing Lightning, began to raise their weapons. They were not quick enough, however, as Lightning met them head on. Knocking the gun out of the hands of one soldier, she then turned and kicked the other one back. She thrust her blade through the gut of the first soldier and then, even as he fell, transformed it back into a gun to fire down the other soldier as he was getting to his feet.

Still hiding behind the debris, Sazh watched her, his feelings a mixture of amazement and fear. There was no doubt in his mind now that she was as soldier, or a former one. No ordinary person would have such skill and confidence. Sazh knew how to handle a weapon only through his job as a pilot (for defence purposes), but the advanced skills practiced by the military were far beyond his reach.

By the time Sazh thought to draw his weapons and join her, Lightning was already finished. Sheathing her gunblade, she stepped over their fallen bodies. A glint on the arm of one of the soldiers caught her eye. Bending over, she plucked the object from his arm and held it up.

_A control unit,_ she thought, recognising the panel. She turned it over in her hands, her expression unimpressed.

Sensing a presence beside her, she glanced back as Sazh walked up. "What do you suppose this is?" he asked.

Lightning followed his gaze. Hovering at the edge of the path was a transgate.

"Is the army leaving its toys out now?" Sazh asked, his tone a mixture of mockery and bitterness.

Lightning looked up at the gate. Its watery-blue surface shimmered in the dim light of the area. She saw her reflection rippling across it. The transgates were more than just 'toys'. With them, the army was able to summon reinforcements at any moment, to any location where a gate could be set up. And it wasn't just reinforcements. They could transport supplies, weapons, almost anything in fact.

She looked at the panel in her hands. No doubt it was used to activate the gate, she assumed.

Opening her fingers, she let the unit fall onto the floor. She then stamped on it with her heel, crushing it. The unit crackled briefly and then died. Lightning then turned. She locked gazes with Sazh for a moment before she walked away.

Sazh watched her go, but he said nothing. He took one last look at the gate before he hurried after her.

Lightning was running again. Sazh quickened his pace to catch up with her. Before long the burning pain returned to his limbs, and his lungs ached with the effort. He was glad he had always been fit in his youth, or he would have _really _struggled to keep up with her. Somehow he managed it, not wanting to let her out of his sight.

In-between all the fighting and the running, Sazh tried to keep an eye on what was going on around him. The sound of gunfire told him that the battle was still raging. Here and there he caught the sound of explosions. The smell of smoke hung thick in the air, and Sazh had to fight the impression that he could smell blood as well. Gunfire became a regular rhythm for his body to run to, which was broken only when one side (probably the army) defeated their opponents.

His gaze shot upward as another PSICOM warship flew overhead. Sazh flinched, but the ship did not open fire. _Perhaps it didn't see us,_ he thought. He wondered if that luck would continue to hold, but he doubted it. Even if one ship failed to spot them there were plenty of others that might. He could only try to stay alert and trust that every movement might be an enemy coming to kill them.

Lightning, however, showed no interest in the warship. She had looked up when it approached, but as soon as it passed she continued onward without breaking her stride.

_Wish I had her kind of confidence,_ Sazh thought with envy.

Further ahead they encountered a large pile of smoking wreckage that was blocking the tracks. While Lightning paused to examine the wreckage, Sazh decided to use this moment to rest. Unfortunately he had no sooner sat down when Lightning jumped onto the wreckage. Using sections of it as stepping stones, she jumped all the way to the top and then disappeared over the other side.

Sazh's jaw dropped. She had amazing stamina. Even after liberating the train, fighting against soldiers and defeating one of their warmechs, she did not seem to be at all tired. He, on the other hand, was very tired._ Gotta love that military training,_ he thought with a touch of bitterness._ Well, guess I'd better catch up to her._

Reluctantly, he pushed himself to his feet. Knowing that his companion would not wait around for him, he climbed over the wreckage and set off in pursuit.

Just as he caught up to Lightning, a loud explosion rocked the tracks. The pair staggered as the railroad trembled and groaned. Looking behind him, he saw smoke curling into the air. The pilot swallowed hard and turned his eyes back front, thankful that they had not been caught in that.

As he ran, he cast his eyes about the rest of the Hanging Edge. The battle was showing no signs of letting up. The warships seemed to have increased in number, as did the number of soldiers. On every walkway Sazh saw smoke and fire and the flicker of gunfire. Screams had joined the rhythmic drone, as dozens of people lost their lives in the battle.

_I wouldn't be surprised if the whole army has come out to stop us,_ Sazh thought.

It was no surprise. The people's fear of Pulse was immense. Just knowing that there was a Pulse fal'Cie on Cocoon was enough to spur widespread panic. In order to quell their fears, the people wanted a swift and speedy resolution.

And that resolution was the Purge. The Sanctum would expel anyone who had had contact with Pulse, and they would do anything to achieve that goal. Even if that meant they had to kill every last one of them.

Sazh supposed that he understood the Sanctum's reasoning, but that did not mean that he accepted it. From what he had seen, the only crime these people had committed was sharing their neighbourhood with a Pulse fal'Cie. They had not known this, and yet they were the ones being punished for it.

_And what about all those people who just happened to be in Bodhum when the fal'Cie was discovered? Did they deserve to be punished, too? What about all those who have visited Bodhum in the past? Any number of people could have been infected by Pulse over the years._

Sazh shook his head. The truth was: the Sanctum cared nothing about the Purge. All they wanted was to remove any threat from Pulse off Cocoon. Removing the Pulse fal'Cie was not enough to quell people's fears. That was why all these people had been brought into it.

And the rest of Cocoon? They would be happy with any decision so long as it meant that they could carry on living in blissful safety.

A change in Lightning's pace drew his attention back to the railroad. Seeing what had caught the former soldier's eye, Sazh caught his breath. A group of soldiers, armed and ready, were running towards them.

This time Sazh did not hesitate to draw his weapons. Coming to stand beside Lightning, he said to her: "Like it or not, I'm sticking with you."

The soldier responded with a grunt, which Sazh took as a form of thanks. Lightning then drew her gunblade and ran forward to meet her opponents. Steeling himself for the assault and hoping he looked braver than he felt, Sazh let out a yell and opened fire.

One of the soldiers fell before Lightning could reach him. Twisting her body out of the way of his falling body, she rushed at the remaining two. She blocked a shot from one soldier and then turned to slash at the one next to him. As he fell, Sazh took him out with his guns. With only one opponent left, Lightning grabbed him and rammed her elbow into his helmet. Her face scrunched up as the blow stung her, but she ignored the pain. She brought her knee to his gut and, as he keeled over, she thrust her blade through his stomach. The soldier stiffened and croaked, before his body fell against the blade.

Lightning withdrew her sword. In one fluid motion she drew a cloth from her belt and wiped it along the blade. She did not stop to check that it was clean, however, as she stuffed the cloth back into her belt and headed on.

Sazh, however, took a moment to look at the bodies. _Three more lives lost. _He rubbed his temples. _How many more have to die here?_

He came to regret asking himself that question. The further along they travelled, the more soldiers they encountered. Lightning took each battle as it came, dispatching the soldiers with both skill and efficiency. Sazh lost track of the amount of people they had been forced to kill, and soon he tried to put the numbers out of his head.

They were running across a clear stretch of open ground when another warship dove towards them. Lightning shouted out a warning just in time before the ship opened fire. Sazh threw himself onto the ground and covered his head as bullets ricocheted off the floor, while Lightning took cover by the wall.

"I do not like low-flying things trying to kill me!" Sazh shouted.

The ship passed over. As soon as the coast was clear they got up from their hiding places and continued on their way.

Several minutes later they came across a PSICOM soldier pacing in front of another transgate. He had not noticed them approach. Lightning ran and hid behind a wall of debris that had fallen on either side of the tracks, creating a narrow walkway between them.

Crouching beside her, Sazh took a deep breath. "Not wanting to get Purged I get," he said. "But taking on trained soldiers?"

"Better to die than get sent to Pulse," Lightning replied. "It's hell without the brimstone."

Sazh blinked in surprise. He had not expected a reply. Glancing around at the Hanging Edge, he said: "Yeah, well hell's not sounding too bad. 'Cause this place ain't exactly paradise."

Lightning gave him a shrewd look. Then she shrugged and turned her attention back to the soldier. While they had been talking, the soldier had activated the gate and had summoned a pair of Pantherons. The mechanical hounds snarled and flicked their tails. Sazh tensed.

"Domesticated peacekeepers," Lightning whispered, feeling him tense up. "Nothing to worry about."

"Maybe not for Soldier Girl," Sazh began to say, "but—hey!"

But Lightning had already leapt out from the hiding place and was running towards the enemy. The Pantherons saw her and roared before they rushed towards her.

In one fluid motion Lightning slashed the blade across one of the hounds. When the beast stalled, Lightning jumped over it and lunged at the soldier, who was just raising his gun. Striking him down with a single strike to the chest, Lightning then turned and dealt with the hound behind her with the same ruthless efficiency.

A shot from behind her made her turn. Sazh had come out now and was firing several rounds at the first Pantheron. She watched as the bullets riddled its armour, striking the circuitry beneath. After a few shots the hound stiffened. Electricity crackled over it, and then the lights in its body went out. The Pantheron sank onto the floor, lifeless.

With their opponents defeated, the pair hurried on. Not for the first time, Sazh wondered where they were going. Lightning seemed to have a clear idea of where she was, but she did not share this information. The pilot knew there was no point in trying to ask her just yet. Maybe later, when things quietened down a little…

Further ahead they came across another wall of debris blocking the tracks. Thankfully, a small ledge ran alongside the edge of the railroad and past the wall, allowing them to get across.

They were just nearing the edge of this ledge when the sounds of battle drew their attention. Peering over the edge, they saw a group of escapees on one of the lower paths. Armed, the people were firing upon their opponent. Sazh caught his breath. It was a Beta Behemoth.

He watched as the metal behemoth ignored the shots the escapees were firing upon it. It leapt and landed right in front of the group. With a single swipe of its enormous claws, it knocked the weapons from their hands and threw them over the edge of the road. Sazh turned his head away, but he could not block out the sound of their cries as they disappeared into the dark depths.

Below him, he heard the Beta Behemoth roar in triumph.

"Murder," Sazh whispered with a sorrowful shake of his head. "Cold-blooded murder. They're not leaving anything to chance with this Purge, are they?"

He looked over at Lightning, whose gaze was fixed on the path below. As usual, her face was a mask, giving no hint as to the emotions beneath. He saw her lips tighten, and then she turned and walked away.

Sazh watched her go. _Perhaps she's not so cold, after all._

Catching up to her again, they continued to head along the tracks. Sazh tried to peer ahead to see if there was some indication as to where they were going, but he could see nothing. It then crossed his mind that perhaps his companion _didn't_ know where she was going. Perhaps she was just running around taking out as many soldiers as she could. The thought filled him with dread. What would he do if she was killed?

The thought was put out of his head when Lightning suddenly stopped. Cursing himself for again losing track of his thoughts, he immediately drew his guns.

Directly ahead was a PSICOM soldier and another Pantheron. As Lightning drew her gunblade she shouted: "Pre-emptive strike', before running at the enemy.

The Pantheron turned. When it saw the pair it snarled, drawing the attention of the soldier.

"Rebels!" the soldier cried.

Lightning and Sazh skidded to a stop. "So much for the element of surprise," Sazh lamented, pulling out his guns.

At Lightning's signal they threw themselves into the battle. As he fought alongside Lightning, Sazh felt that he was becoming quite adept at this. He and Lightning made a good fighting pair, he thought. The soldier's superior agility and skill with a blade made up for Sazh's lack of speed, and as he was forced to keep his distance from the main battle he was able to watch her blindsides and cover her when it was needed.

His distraction almost cost him. While Lightning was engaged with the soldier, the Pantheron dodged around her and lunged at Sazh. The pilot let out a yell and threw himself to one side, dropping his guns. Scrabbling to his feet, Sazh turned to find the Pantheron walking towards him, its mechanical teeth glinting in the light.

Suddenly the hound closed its mouth and looked to its right. Sazh turned just as Lightning jumped between them. With one strike of her sword, she severed the beast's head. Oil oozed out of the pipes running through its neck, and a second later the beast dropped to the floor.

At a flick of her wrist, the gunblade folded up and Lightning sheathed it behind her. Turning to Sazh, she narrowed her eyes.

"Don't get careless," she told him, and she turned away.

Sazh scratched his head. Maybe they weren't quite such a good pair, after all. He opened his mouth to reply when, all of a sudden, the world blew apart.

At least, that was how it seemed to Sazh. One minute he was looking at Lightning, and the next the world was gone. Bright light burned his eyes, and a boom sounded so loud he thought his head had exploded. The ground beneath his feet disappeared and the world seemed to spin.

When he hit the ground, it was as though he had fallen from a great height. A pain jolted through his arm and then through his whole body. Instinctively Sazh put his hands over his ears, but all the sound had now gone and he could hear nothing.

In a flash his hearing returned. The shock of the noise made Sazh gasp and he opened his eyes.

The world was still hazy and spinning. Sazh blinked a few times and shook his head, causing it to throb. Sazh grit his teeth and took a deep breath before opening his eyes again.

The world was clearer now. Rolling his eyes around him, he realised that he was lying on the ground. Thick clouds of smoke filled the air, and when he breathed the hot air went into his throat and made him cough.

He forced himself to his feet. His legs were shaky, but he seemed otherwise unhurt. Remembering Lightning he looked around and saw her standing next to him. She was also unhurt, though even she looked a little shocked by the sudden explosion. Her gaze turned ahead, and her face became grim.

Following her gaze, he saw the source of her dismay. The path ahead was gone; the tracks blown apart in the explosion. Both sides of road groaned as they sloped downwards. On the other side Sazh could see chunks of debris slide down and fall over the edge. His eyes then widened as he realised that it was not just debris that was falling, but people as well. He watched as groups of men, women and even children lost their hold on the bridge and fell down, down, down into the depths below.

Sazh turned his head away, unable to watch anymore.

It was not long before it was all over. All the people, all the debris, was gone from the other side. The screams became distant and then fell silent. Sazh let out a shaky breath. _All those lives…_

Lightning walked past him. Putting her hand on her hip, she looked out at the broken bridge.

"Do we turn back?" Sazh asked her.

"There's no time," Lightning replied.

_No time for what,_ Sazh wondered, but he did not ask. Instead he said: "Then what do you suggest we do?"

"Quiet."

Sazh obediently closed his mouth. He watched as Lightning walked up to the path's edge. The bridge creaked but did not bend. Stopping right at the edge, Lightning gazed out at the other side.

_There's no way she can jump that gap,_ Sazh thought.

Lightning pressed her lips together. Extending her arm, she snapped her fingers. A cloak of electricity swept over her body. It pooled beneath her feet and she began to rise from the floor.

Realising what she intended to do, Sazh's eyes widened in fear. _She's going to leave me behind!_

Opening her eyes, Lightning smiled in satisfaction. Tilting her body forward, she began to float over the edge.

"Hey!" cried Sazh.

He ran after her. Before Lightning could make it over the periphery, Sazh tackled her from behind. Wrapping his arms tightly around her waist he held on, refusing to let go.

"Wait!" he shouted at her. "No, no, don't leave me!"

Lightning glared down at him. She struggled, trying to break his grip. "Let go!" she ordered.

"Hell no," Sazh replied. "You're my only way out of here!"

Lightning cursed. She struggled for a few seconds more before finally losing her patience and struck him across the face. Sazh staggered and she felt his grip weaken. Another blow was all it took to break his hold on her, and the pilot fell onto the ground.

At the same moment the magnetic cloak covering her body faded. Lightning's feet touched the ground again. Ignoring the groaning pilot on the floor behind her, she snapped her fingers to reignite it.

Nothing happened.

She snapped them again.

Still nothing.

Lightning resisted another curse. Her struggle with the crazed pilot must have destabilised her grav-con unit; the device that managed her manadrives, including her Gravity Manipulation Cloak. It would take a while to recalibrate itself, which meant that she was stuck on this side. The soldier took a deep breath and let it out in a slow hiss.

"Hey."

Lightning turned to the pilot. Sazh was on his knees and pointing behind them. "That might get us across," he said. "Right there!"

She followed his pointing finger and her eyebrows raised as she spotted a mobile transport bridge approaching the railroad. The two sides of the bridge were lowered as it came in to dock alongside the bridge.

_Convenient,_ she thought.

Sazh was gazing up at her. "Right?" he said.

The soldier looked back down at him. For a moment she felt anger flare, but she let it go. There was no point in blaming the pilot. He was scared, like most of the rebels, and acted out of panic at the thought of being alone here. Though she would have preferred to leave him behind and continue on her own, she would have no choice but to take him with her.

She wondered if he would come to regret that choice.

"Looks that way," she said in a low voice. She strode past him and headed towards the bridge, which was just locking into place.

Sazh got to his feet. He winced as his arm ached from where she had struck him the second time. She had not pulled her punches.

"All right," he said as he jogged after Lightning. "You leave this to me!"

* * *

_**A Note from the Authoress**_

Back from NaNoWriMo... To be honest, I didn't get much done. My mood's been very low recently, which in turn has affected my writing. I've been struggling ever since that period of wrist strain earlier in the year. But these stories are always on my mind, so I won't abandon them. I had also considered starting this fic over without the script and going totally original like I'm doing with Koudelka and Shadow Hearts. But I decided not to, and to continue with my plan of this one being the last one I'll write with the original script.

Here's hoping the new year brings new determination!

And, as always, if anyone spots any grammar/spelling errors, do let me know! I don't bite, and I'm more than happy to correct anything that's inaccurate!

~Grace Barton


	4. Part 1: Chapter 4

**Final Fantasy XIII**

**Grace Barton**

**Chapter Four**

The transport bridge had come to a stop several metres away from the railroad. It now hovered in mid-air, seemingly unoccupied. To reach it, the pair had to make use of a lift that was stationed alongside the road. At first Lightning was suspicious that a lift was so conveniently stationed here, until Sazh pointed out how it was hard to notice anything with all the fighting going on. Besides, he had added, the Hanging Edge was once a bustling city, and therefore it made sense that the railroads would have regular stops. Lightning looked unconvinced, but she said no more.

Operating the lift was easier than Sazh anticipated. Being a pilot, he was already familiar with the workings of many machines. Once he had determined that everything was in working order, he activated the controls and guided the lift away.

While the lift made its way across, Sazh took advantage of this moment to rest. Sinking to the ground, he leant his head against the wall and sighed.

There was a rustle in his hair. The pilot held out his hands as the chocobo chick flew out and settled in his palms.

Seeing the chick brought a smile to his face. The chick was only a few months old, but already the pilot felt as though the chick had been with him for years. He guessed it was the 'bond' between pet and master, or whatever they called it. He did not know what gender the chick was. Even the most knowledgeable of Chocobo Breeders could not sex them, even as adults. Not that it mattered whether the chick was a boy or a girl, for it was a good friend all the same.

This particular chick he had bought as a gift. However, due to certain circumstances, the chick had to stay with him. Not that he minded. He enjoyed its company.

As though sensing his thoughts, the chick looked up at him and chirped. Looking into those big eyes made Sazh smile, but then a fleeting pain crossed his face and he looked away.

"You sure it was wise to bring a pet into this?"

Sazh looked up at Lightning in surprise. It was the first time she had spoken to him willingly since they met.

"Maybe not," he confessed. "But I didn't make the decision. You could say I was, uh, 'hen-pecked' into it."

Lightning grunted and then turned away. Sazh looked at her for a minute and then looked back at the chick.

"Guess that means the conversation is over," he said in a quiet voice that only the chick would hear. The chick chirruped in reply and began to wash its wings. Sazh's smile returned. _Or maybe she just doesn't like the idea of being ordered about by a chocobo._

He was just giving the chocobo a scratch on the head when Lightning's head snapped up. She strode to the wall and looked out. "Heads up," she said, her eyes narrowing.

Sazh got up and joined her by the wall. The chick settled back into his hair, with only its head poking out.

He followed her gaze. The lift was drawing near the transport bridge, and as they got closer Sazh realised that there were other people occupying it. He felt his heart sink as he recognised the full-body armour of two PSICOM soldiers pacing the deck. Another soldier stood nearby, apparently working on a console on the wall. Sazh did not recognise the uniform he wore, but he knew one thing: it looked powerful.

"A Marauder," Lightning muttered. "And two Enforcers. They're not like the Wardens and their mechanical pets."

Sazh grimaced. "This is not our lucky day," he said. He turned to her. "He's a soldier, too, right? Can't you, like, pull some strings or something?"

Lightning turned and met his gaze. Her gaze was steady, but her face was tight and her lips were set in a firm line. She said nothing, but Sazh saw enough in her face alone to know the truth. She was an ex-soldier and a Purge deportee. Any standing she had when she was a soldier was all but gone.

She had no strings left to pull.

The lift drew up alongside the bridge and came to a stop. Lightning jumped off and onto the path, with Sazh landing close behind her.

Feeling the lift bump gently against the bridge, the PSICOM Marauder looked up. He motioned to the two soldiers around him, who left what they were doing and flanked him as he stepped towards the pair.

"Deportees, are we?" he asked. Reaching behind him, he drew a short lance from his back. At the touch of a button, the lance extended to its full length. "Weapons down. I'd hate for this to turn ugly."

Sazh looked at Lightning. "Uh… 'turn ugly'?" he asked.

"He wants to kill us without a fight," Lightning explained, walking past him. She drew her gunblade. Sazh in turn drew his guns.

The Marauder grunted in amusement, or perhaps it was disappointment. He stopped and twirled his lance over in his hands. He clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth. Then he stopped twirling his lance, and his head snapped up to face them.

"Time's up!" he declared, and he charged.

Lightning charged at the same moment. Sazh covered her with a volley of gunfire, keeping the two Enforcers back while she advanced. When she reached the Marauder she jumped over his lance as he thrust it at her gut. Sweeping around him, she slashed her sword across his shoulder. The officer let out a grunt as the blade pierced his armour and cut the flesh beneath. Ignoring the pain, he turned towards her but Lightning raised her boot and kicked him hard in the chest, sending him falling to the floor.

The two Enforcers stopped in their tracks. Lightning turned towards them and raised her sword, her eyes narrowed in a fierce stare. The soldiers looked at her warily, not daring to advance.

The Marauder sat up. He rubbed his chest, where Lightning's kick had left a dent in his armour. With a snarl he snatched up his lanced and pointed it at her.

"Get her!" he ordered.

One of the soldiers hesitated, but the other ran forward at once. Raising his gun he opened fire on Lightning, who blocked the rounds with her sword and then charged straight through. With a single swipe she knocked the gun aside and struck the soldier at the base of his neck, causing him to buckle. Leaping over him, she ran towards the Marauder. The officer was back on his feet now and lunged, swinging his lance in a deep, sweeping arc. Leaping over the blade, Lightning fired two rounds into his chest armour before landing behind him. Another swift kick in the back sent the Marauder sprawling forward.

Glancing over her shoulder, Lightning looked at the other soldier. He was still frozen, but when he saw Lightning's gaze lock with his, he broke out of his trance and raised his gun. He did not even take aim before a single round pierced his helmet. His body fell limp and slumped to the ground, his gun landing by his side.

Behind Lightning, Sazh was caught in a struggle with the other Enforcer. After dodging one volley of bullets, the pilot skidded to a stop and returned fire. The Enforcer also dodged and then darted forward, catching Sazh off-guard. Instead of firing he raised his weapon like a club and smacked it around the side of Sazh's head. Dazed, Sazh staggered and fell to the ground.

The soldier stood over him. "Now, you die!" he said.

Sazh waved his arms. "Wait, wait, wait!" he pleaded. "This is crazy! None of us are from Pulse! Why do you want to kill us?"

"Sanctum orders," replied the soldier with no warmth to his voice. "From the Primarch himself. Anyone tainted by the Pulse fal'Cie are to be exterminated. No exceptions! Now, die!"

He aimed the gun at the pilot's head. As he did, Sazh kicked the soldier's shin. The Enforcer dropped his gun in surprise and clutched his leg. Rolling over, Sazh snatched up his guns and ran away from him.

"Not so fast!" shouted the soldier as he picked up his own gun and gave chase.

Sazh glanced over his shoulder, and was alarmed to see that the soldier was gaining on him. _I'm not as fit as I used to be,_ Sazh realised with some dismay, and he turned his eyes back front, just in time to see the path ahead come to an abrupt end.

"Whoa!" The pilot skidded to a stop at the bridge's edge. He let out a sigh of relief. Peering down, he stared into the chasm beneath the Hanging Edge. _That was close…_ he thought.

He heard a _click_ behind him. Turning his head, Sazh saw the PSICOM soldier standing just a few feet behind him. The barrel of the gun was pointing straight at his head again. Sazh raised his arms and turned around to face him.

"That's enough running!" said the soldier. "Now you die!"

At that moment, Lightning was fighting against the Marauder, the PSICOM commander. Though he was taller and stronger than she was, Lightning did not relent and held her ground, giving as much as she was taking. But when she saw Sazh cornered at the end of the bridge she gave up her ground, shoving her opponent back and rushing over to his aid.

"Hey! Over here!" she shouted.

As she anticipated, the soldier turned his head towards her. Transforming her gunblade into its gun form, Lightning fired a few rounds at his feet to catch him off-balance before throwing herself against him. Barrelled backwards, the soldier flailed his arms as he teetered and tottered at the bridge's edge. His boot slipping on the edge, the soldier fell over the side. His fading scream pierced the air as he fell into the depths of the Hanging Edge, his body eventually disappearing into the darkness.

Sazh stared at her in surprise. "Uh, thanks," he said.

Lightning shot him a glare. "Don't thank me yet," she told him. Turning away, she nodded her head in the direction of the Marauder. "There's still him."

Sazh followed her gaze. The PSICOM commander was watching them with interest, his fingers flexing around the shaft of his lance.

"Such stupidity," he remarked. "You really will defy the order of the Sanctum? The Purge is necessary. Do you want to put Cocoon at risk?"

Lightning did not answer him. Instead she dropped her voice and whispered to Sazh: "He's strongest in close combat. Keep your distance. Cover me and when you find an opening, take it." Seeing the hesitation in Sazh's face, she narrowed her eyes and added: "It's us or him. He won't hesitate to kill you. Now, are you ready?"

Taking a deep breath, Sazh nodded and raised his pistols. "Ready as I'll ever be, I guess."

"Good. Then let's do this!"

With a yell, she charged. The Marauder charged as well. Both soldiers swung their weapons and clashed with a force that jarred them both to the bone. Rather than trying to hold her ground Lightning jumped back, causing the commander to lurch forward in surprise. Running behind him, she kicked him hard in the back, sending him sprawling to the floor.

"Now!" she shouted.

Sazh jumped, startled. He aimed and fired. However, his hesitation gave the Marauder time to recover, and by the time Sazh fired the commander had rolled clear.

"Damn!" Lightning cursed, and she raised her sword again.

"Nice try!" said the commander, and her charged once more at Lightning. Lightning braced herself for the blow, but the Marauder suddenly changed direction and headed in the opposite direction, straight towards Sazh.

The pilot opened fire. The commander weaved out of the way of the bullets as they whizzed around him. When he drew close to Sazh, he thrust out his lance. The pilot ducked and froze as he felt the blade brush over the top of his hair. Angered at the intrusion, the chocobo chick burst out of Sazh's hair and flew up to the commander's face. Its sudden appearance startled the Marauder, and he took a step back.

"What the—!?" he said. He then grunted and raised his lance high, aiming to skewer both Sazh and the chocobo chick.

The lance descended, but was stopped mid-strike as Lightning ran in front and blocked it with her gunblade. "You…!" the Marauder grunted, but Lightning did not respond. Gripping her sword with both hands, she twisted it around until she wrenched the lance from her opponent's hands. The weapon glinted as it twirled through the air before landing several feet away.

The Marauder stood still, his empty hand still outstretched. The chocobo chick gave a chirp of delight as it fluttered around Lightning's head. As for the soldier, she held her sword out in front of her.

"Give up?" she asked.

The Marauder clenched his fist. With an angry yell, he lunged at Lightning. The soldier raised her sword to strike when a shot sounded behind her. The Marauder froze, coughed, and then dropped to the ground. Blood pooled around a bullet wound in his neck, where the armour was at its weakest. Lightning turned to Sazh in surprise.

The pilot, on his feet, lowered his gun and sighed. "It's him or us, right?" he asked.

"Right…" replied Lightning. She then looked up as the chick, shocked by the sudden gunshot, floated down in front of her. She started to hold out her hand to catch it, but withdrew her hand at the last moment and turned away.

Instead Sazh came forward and caught the chick, placing it safely back inside his hair. He glanced at Lightning for a moment before he slipped his guns back into his holsters and crossed the bridge. He stopped by a panel on the wall that the two soldiers had been working on when they arrived.

"So, Soldier…" he said. "What's your angle?"

He got no reply. Turning, he looked over at Lightning. The soldier had her back to him, seemingly content to ignore him. Sighing, Sazh turned back to the console. He ran his fingers across it, and the console lit up.

"What, is it classified military info?" he asked. "What's it matter? You quit, didn't you? You think I'm gonna go out there and just tell everybody your secret?"

"The Pulse fal'Cie."

Sazh froze. He turned. "What…?"

Lightning gave him a sidelong look. "My 'angle'. I'm after the fal'Cie."

A slow chill crept through Sazh's body. He felt the world around him shrink and grow dim, as though the lights of the world were switched off all at once. The floor seemed to pull away from him, leaving him standing over an unending precipice. His mouth opened and he tried to say something, but his tongue felt thick and heavy in his mouth.

_The Pulse fal'Cie…_

Lightning walked past, returning him to the present world. Reaching past him, she grasped a lever and pulled it down in a Z-like angle. The bridge hummed and the two raised pathways on either side began to fold underneath. Lightning stepped away from the console and gave Sazh a narrowed stare.

"Still happy you tagged along?" she asked, and then walked away.

Sazh clenched his hands. _Well, I wanted to know her angle, and now I do… And I wish I didn't._

Of all the things he expected her to be after he did not think the fal'Cie would be the one. The thought that she could be so bold was incredible, and a little frightening. But did he regret coming along with her?

"Didn't have a choice," he whispered in answer to her question.

He moved to join Lightning at the other end of the bridge. They stood together as the bridge turned and began to move away, carrying them towards the centre of the Hanging Edge.


	5. Part 1: Chapter 5

**Final Fantasy XIII**

**Grace Barton**

**Chapter Five**

"On behalf of Cocoon's citizens… …I would like to thank our brave Pulse pioneers and express our wishes for a successful relocation.

"Your noble and selfless sacrifice ensures the continued safety and peace of our society. Were it not for this remarkable gesture, every resident of Cocoon… your family, your friends, your neighbours… would be exposed to the dangers of the world below.

"By choosing to leave Cocoon and participating in this migration—"

The voice of the Primarch was cut short as a boot slammed onto the radio. Sparks flickered around it. Snow grimaced as he dug in his heel, crushing the speaker beneath his foot.

"'Migration'?" said a voice from behind him. "More like 'extermination'."

"Yuj," Snow said, his voice carrying just a hint of warning. Removing his foot from the now crushed radio, he turned to the fashionably-dressed young man. "You stay here."

Yuj hung his head, his blue hair falling over his face. "Sorry," he apologised. "I didn't mean to—"

Snow shook his head. All around them were survivors of the Purge. Snow's was one of the first trains to arrive in the Hanging Edge. From the moment the train arrived, the PSICOM soldiers meant to escort them to Pulse opened fire on the passengers. Before Snow realised what was happening dozens of people were killed in a bloody massacre. Taking charge of the chaos, Snow led a rebellion against the soldiers and fled with as many survivors as he could rescue. Now here on the fifth levels of the Aerial Trussway, they had formed a resistance, fighting to protect the people who had survived.

"These people need heroes!" Snow said, raising his fist and clenching it tight. Turning back to Yuj, he looked at the gun in the young man's hands. Grasping the gun, he pushed it against Yuj's chest. "Here. You keep your cool, and they will too. You got it?" he asked, clasping the nineteen-year-old on the shoulder.

"Got it," replied Yuj.

"What's our motto?" Snow asked him.

Yuj straightened. "The army's no match for NORA!"

Grinning, Snow ruffled Yuj's vibrant hair. "Attaboy," he said, as Yuj laughed and pulled away, trying to sort out his messed-up hair.

Leaving Yuj to his post, Snow turned away from the survivors and faced the path ahead. Just ahead was the resistance front, where even as he stood here his other friends were fighting against the army. Snow clenched his fists and ran on to re-join the fight.

* * *

On the resistance front, Gadot let out a fearsome battle cry as he rose up from behind the barricades and opened fire. On the other side of the lines, two PSICOM Enforcers fell to his assault. The light of the gunfire lit up his dark features and enhanced his fiery-coloured hair, giving him a startling appearance. Once his attack was done, Gadot ducked behind the barricade again, just missing a return-volley of gunfire from the enemy.

To his right were the other members of NORA. Lebreau, just nineteen but more mature than any woman Gadot knew, looked very different as she wielded a manadrive rifle with as much skill and expertise as any man could. Her beautiful, exotic face was harsh as she also jumped up to fire into the enemy lines before ducking down again.

Behind her was Maqui. The youngest member of NORA at seventeen, Maqui was more of an engineer than a fighter, and would normally be found tinkering away in his little workshop at NORA house back in Bodhum. Today he had been made to switch his spanners and hammers for guns as he joined his comrades in protecting the Purge survivors.

Gadot was Snow's second-in-command and, along with him, Lebreau, Maqui and Yuj, they made up the group known as 'NORA'. Before the Purge they were a neighbourhood watch in Bodhum, fighting to protect the townspeople from the monsters that tried to enter the town. Though they had often clashed with the soldiers already based in the town, they had never done anything bad enough to warrant the army trying to cease their activities. Now their skills were being put to a more practical use as they fought to protect the townspeople from a new danger: the Sanctum itself.

A bullet pinged off the top of the barricade where Maqui was hiding. Ducking down, Maqui turned away and slumped against it.

"Aw, this is crazy!" he whined.

"Then take a nap," replied Gadot, still shooting.

Maqui's face lit up. "Really?" he asked. "Can I?"

"Sure," said Gadot, flashing him a grin. "And when we're taking a _dirt_ nap, you can save 'em all."

Maqui groaned. "Aw, that's even worse!" he moaned, and slumped further against the barricade.

A shadow fell over him and Maqui sat up in a rush as Snow jumped down from the debris they were using as a barrier between them and the rest of the survivors.

"No dirt naps today!" said Snow as he crouched down beside Maqui. "We're all in this together." He looked across the lines. "Our enemy's the Cocoon Sanctum. Their dreaded PSICOM, no less."

Lebreau let out a snort. "What's to dread?" she asked. "PSICOM's nothing but a whole bunch of bluster and bullying. They've got nothing on NORA."

Snow and Gadot grinned at each other. Only Lebreau would have the guts to call PSICOM a bunch of bullies, and would not doubt have the guts to say it to their faces as well. Hoisting his gun onto his shoulder, Gadot rose to his feet. "Well," he said, "we are the heroes after all."

On the other side of the enemy lines, the number of soldiers had thinned. Only two soldiers remained; one injured and one in retreat. Taking aim, Gadot took out the injured soldier. There was no sense in letting the injured suffer, even if they were the enemy.

Snow stood up beside him and smacked his fists together. "Let's prove it!" he said.

"Yeah!" replied the others. Lebreau and Gadot leapt over the barricades and charged across the lines while Maqui, who had not expected the sudden charge, groaned and began to follow them.

As for Snow, he did not follow them right away. He looked around at the Hanging Edge. Though theirs was the main front of the resistance, all around other civilians had joined together to fight back against the army. Again he remembered the Purge train, and the many lives lost there. He was able to save only a handful of those people, but many more were killed. More still were killed when the other trains arrived, and they too realised the real fate that awaited them. Though Snow knew he could not save everyone, he wanted to save as many as he possibly could.

"The Sanctum's gonna pay for this," he vowed.

He turned his gaze upward. Over in the distance, the great gates that separated the Hanging Edge from the rest of Cocoon stood closed. Clouds of fire and smoke shrouded them as military airships fired on the winding pathways around the gate. Snow held out his fist towards the gate and pursed his lips into a thin line.

"Just wait for me…" he whispered, and then hurried off after Gadot and the others.

His friends were waiting for him just ahead. With Snow taking the lead, they set off down the trussway and began to drive back the army. Snow and Gadot made up the front of their attack force; Gadot using his acquired rifle, and Snow using nothing but his own fists. Lebreau stayed back to cover the pair from enemy fire, allowing the two to focus on their attack. Standing back at a safe distance was Maqui, collecting as many weapons as he could find from the dead soldiers.

It was not just dead soldiers that they found. Dozens more bodies lay sprawled along the path. Blood stained the cloaks they wore, with pools gathered beneath their bodies. Snow closed his eyes. They were Purge deportees. More innocent victims lost in a senseless bloodbath. Snow opened his eyes and looked at each body as he passed them, trying to commit each and every one to memory.

Maqui also looked around at the bodies. His face paled at the sight of their lifeless faces; empty, bloody eyes turned to him in pained expressions of death. A lump welled in his throat. Shaking his head, he hurried to catch up to Snow.

"Hey, um, what about Yuj?" he asked.

"He's staying behind to watch the other survivors," the NORA leader replied. "Once we've cleared this area, we'll double-back and meet up with him."

Maqui didn't look convinced. "Yeah, but…"

Snow stopped and turned to him. "Don't worry," he said, clasping Maqui's shoulder. "Yuj will be fine. Trust me. After all, we're a family, and we need to stay together."

"After all," said Gadot, walking past Snow. "What's a hero without an audience? Right, Boss?"

Snow swung at him, but Gadot pulled back out of the way, laughing. He ran on ahead, with Lebreau close in tow. Snow watched them go and shook his head.

"Hard to say who the kids in this family are, though," he remarked. He looked down at Maqui and gave him a reassuring smile. "Come on," he said, and ran after Gadot and Lebreau.

"Okay," said Maqui, following suit.

They encountered more soldiers as they head along the trussway. Instead of sneaking up to initiate a pre-emptive strike, Snow and his companions charged in headfirst and took them head-on. They showed no mercy to their enemies, for they knew they would not receive any mercy in return. They left the bodies behind them, salvaging whatever items and weapons they could take with them.

About a quarter of a mile down the tracks, Snow raised his hand and called the group to a stop. They gathered behind a large chunk of debris that was almost blocking the path. Kneeling down behind it, Snow peered out to check out the road ahead.

Glad for the brief respite, Maqui groaned and sank to his knees. "No more…" he complained.

Lebreau ignored him and placed her gun upon her shoulder. "There are solders everywhere," she said.

Gadot crouched down next to Snow. "Yo, Boss. What's the plan?" he asked.

Snow flashed him a knowing grin. "Charge in, guns blazing," he replied, standing up again.

"Hey! That's not a plan!" protested Maqui, who then winced as Lebreau tapped him on the head with her fist.

"Real heroes don't need plans," she said, winking at Snow.

Snow nodded and turned back to the path. While they had been talking, a patrol of soldiers and mechanical Pantherons had arrived to block their route. When they spotted the group hiding, the soldiers yelled and began to run towards them.

"Time to go," Snow announced, raising his fists.

Maqui took cover behind the debris whilst Snow and the others charged into the fray. One of the Pantherons surged forward and leapt at Snow, its fangs bared. Snow stopped and drew back his fist. As he did, the Wild Bear emblem on the back of his trench coat began to glow. Snow struck and punched the Pantheron in its head. The emblem flashed and the hound was thrown back to the ground, its head nothing more than a crackling mass of metal.

Turning to the other Pantheron, Snow reached into his pocket and drew out a grenade. He pulled out the pin with his teeth before thrusting it into the hound's open mouth as it made to snap at him. He withdrew his hand quickly and then leap back, seconds before the grenade went off. The hound exploded, and shards of metal rained onto the tracks.

Lebreau gave a battle-cry as she sent a volley of gunfire hurtling across the enemy lines. The soldiers stopped in their tracks and flailed as the bullets riddled their bodies, and when she stopped shooting they fell onto the floor. Gadot then ran past her and, using his gun like a club, bashed onto the heads of the soldiers still standing.

Once the soldiers were defeated, Maqui came out of hiding and ran around, picking the weapons the enemy had dropped. His arms were now full and he was beginning to struggle, so Lebreau and Gadot took some from him to ease the load.

They headed on once more, but before long they ran into the enemy again. A group of Pantherons, previously lounging on the tracks, jumped to their feet and ran towards them.

"Same plan as always!" Snow shouted over his shoulder. "Hit 'em hard, and hit 'em again!"

Gadot laughed and threw his weapons to Maqui. Lebreau did the same, ignoring the mechanic's protests and causing him to drop the whole lot. By the time he had finished sorting them out the Pantherons were destroyed, and they continued on their way.

At long last they came to an open clearing. Instead of soldiers, Snow saw a large group of Purge survivors huddled together in the middle of the tracks. Snow looked around, but there was not a single PSICOM soldier in sight. _Maybe they don't think the survivors are going anywhere,_ he thought. _Or maybe they're using them as bait to draw in more survivors… like us._ The fighter smiled and clenched his fists. _I'll take that bait._

He led the others towards the survivors. Some of them looked up as the group approached, but others did not seem to respond at all. In their faces Snow saw fear and uncertainty. He wondered why they had not fled. Then he saw something else in their faces: acceptance. They had already accepted their fate and given up. Snow bit back a curse. Was this what the Sanctum wanted? To have its citizens give up on survival, and let the soldiers put them out of their misery? Snow could not allow that.

"You all okay?" he said to the group.

More faces turned to face him. Snow looked around at them. They were a mixed group, with men, women and children present. Many of them had ditched their Purge cloaks, while others were content to hide in their false safety. Snow made a quick count. There were a good number of survivors here, more than there were in other areas. Snow let out a sigh of relief.

As he looked around, his eyes fell on one woman sitting at the front of the crowd. She in turn met his gaze and held it. Though she must have been in her early forties, she looked much younger. But it was not her youthful face that caught his eye, or the unusual silver tint to her blonde hair. It was how she sat with her back straight and her hands neatly folded in her lap, her cool expression and how her eyes seemed to take everything in, even him. At first he stared at her, confused, until he realised what he could not see in this woman's face.

_She's not afraid,_ he thought. _That's impressive. At least some people haven't lost their heads._

His thoughts were interrupted by a loud clatter beside him. Snow looked down at Maqui as he scrabbled to pick up the weapons he had dropped.

"Hey," Snow said to him in a low voice, "careful with those."

Maqui's face turned red, and he laughed nervously. While he continued to organise the many weapons, Snow stepped forward and addressed the survivors.

"Don't worry, no one's moving to Pulse today," he told them. "We'll clear you a path out of here, so be ready to—"

"Wait!" A man rose to his feet. "Let me fight with you!" he pleaded.

"Yeah," agreed another man, who was wearing a Purge cloak. "You can't expect us to just sit here!"

More protests followed, as more and more people voiced their desire to fight for their survival. Glad to see that these people had not given up completely after all, he held back a smile and looked back at Gadot.

"Could help," he murmured.

Gadot nodded his agreement. "Yep."

"Please," shouted the first man. "Let us help."

Snow started to reply but was cut off by a loud explosion that set off some distance behind them. The survivors gasped, and Snow turned to see a cloud of black smoke and fire curl into the air. He turned back. "Okay then," he said. "Volunteers front and centre."

He was glad to see the crowd hesitate now, for it meant that they were taking in the real dangers of what they were saying. Then the first man who spoke came forward. Snow waved him over to Maqui, who held out one of the guns he had collected. The man in the Purge cloak came next, also taking a weapon from Maqui. Soon others began to come forward, and a crowd gathered around the mechanic as he began handing out the weapons one by one.

"Here," he said, giving out another gun. "Take this one." And another. "Here you go… And one for you."

When the crowd became too big for Maqui to manage, people instead began to help themselves to the weapons. As more and more people came forward, other survivors who had not thought to volunteer found themselves rising and going over, inspired by their fellow's courage.

While the volunteers were gathering their weapons, the silver-haired woman still sat at the front of the crowd. She watched in silence as people walked past her to take one of the weapons. She looked around. All the volunteers were men, she noticed. The women in the group were too afraid to volunteer, or felt they would just be in the way if they tried to help. Others were mothers, clinging to protect their young children.

But she realised something that they did not. She knew that sometimes, in order to protect the things most precious to you, you had to take a risk. Protecting wasn't always about clinging and keeping them close. Sometimes it was about letting go, and fighting so that they could have a future.

Her fists clenched, and before she even realised it she had risen to her feet. She lifted her head, pursed her lips, and began to walk forward.

"Mom?"

She looked back at her son. His face was mostly hidden beneath the hood of his Purge cloak, which he had been too scared to cast aside. She smiled down at him; a smile filled with fondness.

"Don't worry," she assured him, and before he could say anything more, she went to join the volunteers.

One gun had been kicked clear of the others, lying forgotten on the ground. Bending down, she picked the gun up. It was lighter than she expected, and fit quite nicely in her hand. She tucked it against her side and walked over to Snow, who was showing the other volunteers how to use their new weapons.

"Yeah, nice," he was saying.

The woman coughed. His attention caught, Snow turned to her. The moment he saw the weapon in her hands and met her gaze, a swift pain filled his heart.

"You sure?" he asked her.

The woman nodded. "Yeah," she answered. She clasped the gun in her hands. "Mom's are tough."

_So that's it,_ Snow realised. She was a mother. Of course she would want to fight. She had something precious she needed to protect. Snow was an orphan, raised in a Sanctum facility, along with Gadot. He had never known the protection of a mother. Yet he could not deny it. Nor could he deny her the right to fight so she could protect her offspring.

"Right," he whispered.

The woman gave him a brief smile and walked past him to join the other volunteers. Snow felt a pang of regret. Killing innocents, forcing mothers to take up arms to protect their children… The Sanctum had a lot to answer for. But he knew there would be no point in trying to change her mind. All he could do was watch out for her, and make sure she lived to return to her children.

While he was watching her, Gadot left the crowd and went to his side. "It's the last one, Boss."

He slipped a gun into Snow's hand. Snow looked at it and sighed. _Just one more…_

He turned to the survivors who had not volunteered. Their fearful eyes watched him as he walked close and held the gun high.

"All right, last one," he told them. "Somebody take it."

He held it out, handle-first, right in front of the teenage boy. At the sight of it his face went white and his eyes widened in fear. He scrabbled back.

"No… I can't," he said, his voice trembling.

Snow felt a sliver of pity. It was a tough thing to ask for a young boy to take a weapon and fight like an adult. He could not blame the boy for being afraid. Taking the gun away, he was about to offer it to somebody else when a teenage girl in Purge robes sitting behind the boy rose up onto her knees and held out her hands.

"Here," she said, her voice cheery.

Snow hesitated. Of all the volunteers he had expected, he had not expected a teenage girl to volunteer. She grinned at him, her palms spread expectantly. Snow frowned. Did she understand what she might have to do with it, he wondered. He looked around and then, seeing no other takers, he gave her the gun.

"Push comes to shove," he told her, "keep 'em safe."

The girl held examined the gun closely, her large green eyes eager. Then she held the gun up and pointed it at Snow.

"Bang!" she said, pretending to pull the trigger.

Snow clutched at his stomach and grunted, staggering back in false pain. The girl laughed and clutched the gun to her chest.

* * *

_First impression of Snow? All talk._

* * *

With all the weapons now handed out, Snow raised his hands and addressed the crowd again. "All right," he said, "lay low and you'll be fine. We'll clear out the area." He paused and then raised his fist. "We're going home together!"

The other survivors stared at him, their faces a mixture of fear and disbelief. Lebreau stood beside Snow and gestured for everyone to stand. "Come on!" she ordered. "Everybody up!"

One by one, people got to their feet. Gadot turned towards the now-armed volunteers. "Right. New recruits—on me!" he called, and led them off along the trussway the way they had come.

The mother was at the back of the group. Snow hurried over to her and patted her on the shoulder.

"Come on," he said.

"Right," she replied.

Snow winked and ran on ahead. The mother followed him for a few steps before she stopped and looked back at her son. His eyes were on hers, large and full of fear. She felt her heart ache, but before she could say anything Lebreau grabbed him by the arm and pulled him onto his feet.

"Time to go, kiddo," she told him.

The boy looked up at her, terrified. His mother, Nora, gave him another brief smile before she turned away and set off after the others.


	6. Part 1: Chapter 6

**Final Fantasy XIII**

**Grace Barton**

**Chapter Six**

"We're not losing to PSICOM, you hear me!" Snow shouted.

Behind him, Gadot, Lebreau and the other recruits shouted back their agreement. Further behind them, Maqui and the other survivors were doubling back, trying to find a safer place to hide until Snow and his team cleared a path out of the Hanging Edge.

Hearing the recruits' new-found enthusiasm brought a smile to Snow's face. When he had seen the citizens of Bodhum piling obediently onto the Purge trains, he had feared they had all given up. He had feared it even more when PSICOM showed their true intentions and began to kill them. Yet it seemed that most of these people had not given up on their will to survive. Snow clenched his fist. They would show the Sanctum that they would not accept their fates without a fight.

He looked over his shoulder. Nora was running close behind him. She had not lost her determination to fight with the other recruits, and was able to keep pace with them. Seeing her with a gun in her hands still made Snow feel sorrow deep inside, but he was glad as well. Through people like her, the Sanctum would see that people had more to fight for than their own lives. Nora's resolve hardened his own, and he made a secret vow to make sure she survived to make it back to those she was fighting to protect.

Snow turned his gaze ahead, just in time to see Gadot had stopped and was waving his arms. Looking past him, Snow saw a group of PSICOM soldiers. Snow bit back a curse and signalled for the recruits to hide. Everyone threw themselves onto the ground, or hid behind chunks of debris. Once everyone was hidden Snow left Nora and hurried over to Gadot, who crouched behind a wall.

"Stay sharp!" he admonished his second. "We don't want to make their job any easier."

Gadot barked a laugh. "Sorry, Boss!"

Snow smiled, and then turned his attention to the soldiers. They had their backs to him and the rest of the resistance, and therefore had not noticed their approach. Snow thanked Lady Luck and gave Gadot a nod. His second gestured to a group of nearby recruits and then raised his hand. He counted down from three, and then…

"Now!" he bellowed.

He leapt out. The other recruits did the same. The trussway lit up with the flash of gunfire. The PSICOM soldiers did not even have a chance to retaliate. Within moments, all of the soldiers were shot down. When the last soldier fell, Snow signalled for them to move on.

They did not make it much further when Snow again called them to a halt. Another group of soldiers came running towards them, drawn by the sounds of battle. A pair of Pantherons ran with them, snarling through bared fangs.

"Lebreau, back us up!" Snow threw over his shoulder.

"Got it!" replied Lebreau.

On Snow's command, the resistance opened fire. The soldiers fell, along with one of the Pantherons. The other hound dodged the gunfire and charged towards them. Snow threw a grenade from his pocket, but the hound leapt over it and avoided the blast. It turned towards Snow and pounced, its claws stretched.

Snow braced himself for the blow, but Gadot ran in front and fired on the hound. Unable to dodge the bullets in mid-leap, the hound dropped to the ground. Gadot stamped on its shoulders to keep it from moving and fired another round into its head. The machine shuddered and then stiffened, and the lights of its eyes flickered out.

Removing his foot, Gadot placed his gun on his shoulder and grinned at Snow. "Stay sharp, _Boss,_" he said.

Snow gave a sheepish grin and scratched his head. Before he could say anything he heard a crackling sound coming from above them. Looking up, he saw another PSICOM soldier in red armour standing on top of a pillar.

"Mobilise beta force!" the soldier was shouting into a communication device. "Put down the resistance!"

Lifting his gun, the soldier fired into the sky. Overhead, an armoured airship saw the signal and turned towards the trussway. The roof of the airship was flat, topped by a circular platform. Standing in the middle of the platform was a Beta Behemoth.

At Snow's signal, the resistance opened fire. Bullets clanged off the behemoth's plated armour, doing no damage whatsoever. The behemoth walked up to the platform's edge. With a snarl, it leapt off. It landed on the trussway, landing with so much force that it caused the bridge to shake.

Snow glanced behind him. The recruits were cowering, their courage faltering in the face of this new opponent. He looked at his friends. Gadot nodded, and Lebreau raised her gun. Snow smiled and positioned himself in front, raising his clenched fists.

"Heroes don't run from fights!" he declared.

The behemoth roared in response. It hunched its shoulders and then ran towards them. It swung one of its massive forearms, and Snow's team dived aside.

"What's the plan?" Gadot shouted.

Snow jumped to his feet. "We fight, and we survive!" he replied, and with that he ran straight towards the enemy. He drew back his fist and his coat's emblem flashed. He punched the behemoth in the jaw, and the mech staggered back.

As Snow pulled back, Lebreau yelled and opened fire. The behemoth turned towards her and roared, the bullets bouncing off its armoured body.

"I think you just made it angry, Lebreau!" observed Gadot.

"Good!" she replied, and she opened fire again.

The behemoth bared its fangs and then charged towards her. Lebreau grit her teeth and kept on firing. The behemoth stopped a few feet from her. It rose up onto its hind legs as it lifted one claw high, about to bring it down on top of her. Snow threw himself against her, pushing her out of the way. He and Lebreau fell to the floor. Behind them, the behemoth's hand slammed onto the ground.

Snow scrambled to his feet and reached into his pocket. "Take this!" he shouted, and threw a grenade at the monster's feet. It exploded, and the behemoth fell back in a cloud of smoke.

"Now!" cried Gadot to the recruits.

He opened fire. The recruits hesitated before they joined in, covering the behemoth in bullets.

"Aim for the legs!" Gadot shouted over the gunfire. "Bring it down!"

The recruits did as he instructed, adjusting their trajectory so that they aimed for the behemoth's powerful fore and hind legs. Most of the bullets pinged harmlessly off, unable to penetrate the armour. Only a few struck home, but they did little to slow the monster down.

Roaring in rage, the behemoth turned and began to stomp towards them. Gadot ordered the recruits to fall back. He remained behind until the recruits were clear before falling back himself, only just missing a swipe from the behemoth's large claws. The behemoth looked about and then turned to one group of recruits who had not backed away when Gadot ordered them to. Instead they inched forward, maintaining their fire.

Behind the debris, Gadot shouted at them. "Idiots! Run!"

The behemoth headed towards them. Seeing it coming, most of the recruits now gave up firing and fell back. Only one man stayed put, maintaining his fire even as the behemoth stomped up to him. The monster reared onto its hind legs. Bullets pinged off its chest plate. The man's face was twisted in fear and covered in sweat, but he did not give in.

With a swing of its fist, the behemoth slammed the man against the wall of the bridge. His gun was knocked out of his hands, skidding across the ground. The man lay stunned as the behemoth towered over him. He only came to when the behemoth closed its fingers around his waist. He struggled, but the behemoth lifted him as easily as a child would a doll. With one mighty throw, the machine hurled him over the side of the bridge.

Snow closed his eyes. But he could not block out the sound of the man's scream as he fell. That scream was cut off abruptly as the man hit one of the lower bridges.

The behemoth roared in triumph.

Snow bit his lip. His whole body burned with an uncontrollable fury. Was this really what the Sanctum wanted? His hands trembled, so he clenched them into fists. The Sanctum's will or not, he would not allow any more of these people to die. Snow raised his fists, and the Wild Bear emblem on his coat began to glow.

"Lebreau!" he called. "Flank it from the right side. Gadot! You and the recruits cover from the left!"

"What about you, Boss?" Gadot asked.

Snow smacked his fists together. They resounded with a satisfying _thunk_ that he felt right in his bones. "Don't worry," he said, "I won't get in the way. Just cover me, all right?"

Gadot snorted. "Whatever you say, Snow."

The behemoth roared. Gadot roared back and opened fire. After a moment's hesitation, the recruits joined in. Gunfire lit up the trussway, and the air was deafened by the sound of bullets striking metal. Surprised by the sudden attack, the behemoth stepped backwards. It then leapt forward and swung a paw, but Gadot and the recruits jumped back out of the way.

The mech started to go after them when more bullets began to rain down from behind it. Lebreau and a small team of recruits advanced from behind it, careful to keep a safe distance from the mech and its powerful arms. When the monster started to turn toward her team, Lebreau ordered them to ceasefire and pull back, allowing Gadot's team to take over.

Caught between the two teams, the behemoth was unsure what to do. Despite its thick armour, the effects of the continuous onslaught were evident as many dents and holes littered its surface. Though none had yet caused any significant damage, one lucky shot penetrated its right rear knee joint and severed its connection to the rest of its body. Electricity crackled around the joint as the leg lost power, and the behemoth slumped on one side.

This was the moment Snow was waiting for. Signalling to his friends to hold their fire, he charged forward. Though its rear leg was disabled, the behemoth was still a threat from the front. It swung a paw, but Snow leapt over it. Landing on its arm, he ran up to the behemoth's shoulders and leapt. He delivered a powerful drop-kick squarely in the centre of the machine's head. Stunned by the impact, the machine dropped onto the floor.

Snow jumped off. As he moved away, Lebreau ran forward and opened fire. Her battle-cry carried over the gunfire as she fired volley after volley at the stunned mech.

Shaking itself, the behemoth began to stand. Lebreau pulled back as Snow charged in again and dealt a sweeping blow to its lower jaw. The emblem flashed as Snow's fist connected, and the jaw gave a crunch and broke off. It hung by one joint, useless.

Now Gadot took over. He led his recruits and circled the beast, attacking it from all sides. More shots began to hit their mark. A forearm lost its power, and several armour plates were snapped off.

"Attack it together!" ordered Snow.

"Right!" shouted Gadot and Lebreau.

Both teams opened fire. The behemoth roared. It tried to draw itself up onto his hind legs, but it slumped forward. It tried again and somehow managed to gain its balance. It threw back its head, its angered bellow deafening all within range. At last bullets ripped through its chest armour and pierced the circuitry beneath. Oil began to leak out of the holes. Its eyes flickered as the manadrive technology that powered it began to fail.

Seeing the monster weakening, Snow raised his hand. Everyone stopped firing. Snow stepped forward to stand in front of the mech. It teetered, a bullet-ridden mass of dents, with a useless arm and leg and a broken jaw.

Snow drew back his fist. With a yell he charged. He leapt at the monster, and with all his might he punched it right in the chest.

That last blow was enough. The behemoth lost its balance and fell back onto the path. The trussway shook. On its back, the behemoth tried to roar, but the sound came out crackly and then died out. Electricity began to crackle around the beast, and Snow turned to the others behind him. "Get back!" he shouted.

A second after he spoke, the behemoth exploded. Clouds of smoke and fire spread across the trussway, engulfing everything. Snow ran through the smoke, choking and coughing. Finally he made it out and turned to look at the behemoth.

All that remained was a charred mess. Snow grinned and threw his fist into the air. "Now that's what I'm talking about!" he said.

"Snow!" cried Lebreau.

Snow turned. Lebreau and Gadot had run on ahead and were pointing own the path. Following their gazes, Snow saw that a platoon of PSICOM soldiers had gathered during their battle with the Beta Behemoth. These soldiers were now running down the trussway, armed and ready to fight.

Snow turned back to the recruits. "Take cover!" he ordered.

Everyone obeyed. Those nearest the back took cover behind whatever defences they could find. Several ran forward and joined Lebreau and Gadot as they opened fire on the soldiers, trying to hold them back. The NORA chef flinched as bullets pinged over her head. Gadot waited for a break in the gunfire before running out and returning the soldier's fire, taking out two soldiers as they tried to come forward.

Gradually the rest of the soldiers stopped their advance and fell back. They formed their own lines and took cover.

Looking around, Snow spotted Nora standing in the open. He hurried over and grabbed her hand. Pulling her along behind him, he led her towards the front of the line. Once they were close enough Snow stopped, and they ducked down behind a wall of debris.

Snow peered around the edge of the debris. The soldiers had stopped their advance and were holding their lines. But as he watched Snow saw several of the soldiers cease their fire and begin to pull back. The fighter frowned, but when he looked over them he saw the reason why they were pulling back.

Overhead, the airship turned and began to descend. Side panels shifted to reveal manadrive machineguns. Snow did not have time to call out a warning before the airship opened fire. Several fell almost immediately, while others cried out as they were wounded. Snow cursed. Out in the open, they were nothing but sitting ducks.

"Snow!" shouted Gadot from the front. "We got trouble!"

"No kidding," Snow replied in a low voice.

He looked around him. There were no places where the survivors could take cover. Their only hope was to take out the airship, or at least take out its guns.

He scanned the battlefield, looking for some weapon he could use. Then his eyes fell on the gun dropped by the man killed by the behemoth. It had been thrown away during the fight and now lay in the middle of the path almost directly beneath the airship. Snow turned to Nora and grasped her hand.

"Stay down!" he told her, and he ran out onto the path.

Bullets rained down around him. Snow ignored them and ran towards the gun. He dived, his arm outstretched. Before he could take it, a bullet hit the ground behind him. Snow was flung forward. He rolled and then landed hard on the path. His head smacked against the floor, stunning him.

Snow groaned and opened his eyes. Looking around, he saw that the gun was just behind him. He started to reach for when he heard a _click_ from above.

The airship was hovering over him. Snow watched as a panel opened in its front, revealing a manadrive energy cannon. The air around it wavered, and the cannon began to glow a deep orange. Snow closed his eyes, bracing himself for the blast.

When he heard the explosion he flinched. He waited for the pain and the searing heat that would burn the flesh from his bones, except it never came. Confused, Snow opened his eyes.

The airship was flying at an odd angle. Flames engulfed it on one side, and smoke poured from a hole that had been blasted through it.

A shadow fell over him. Snow looked up to see Nora standing over him. Her face was stern as she watched the airship flounder. Smoke drifted from the gun in her hands. Tearing her gaze away from the ship, she looked down at Snow.

"I told you, didn't I?" she said. "Mom's are tough."

She knelt and offered her hand. He took her hand, and she pulled him to his feet. He smiled down at her, impressed by her bravery. She smiled back.

Meanwhile, the airship was still drifting. Before its manadrive engines lost their power completely, the soldiers inside turned the cannon towards the bridge and fired.

The blast smashed into the bridge behind Nora. Debris was lifted and thrown as a shockwave spread out from the impact. The wave reached Nora, striking her from behind. Her eyes widened in shock and pain as she too was lifted and thrown across the bridge.

* * *

When Hope heard the explosion on the other bridge, his heart lurched in his chest. He stopped running and turned to look over to where the rest of the resistance were fighting.

The trussway had been torn in two. Flames engulfed the bridge where the blast had ripped through the metal plates and shattered the joints that kept the bridge level. With nothing to hold them up, the two sides of the bridge were beginning to dip, and caught on the broken sides began to slide and fall over the edge.

But it was not the sight of the bridge that made Hope's mouth go dry. It was the screams. Ordinary civilians screamed as they lost their hold on the bending bridge. With nothing to hold onto, they slid down the broken slopes and tumbled over the edge. Despite the distance, Hope felt he could see their terrified faces as they clawed hopelessly at the air.

He heard a gasp and turned to find a red-haired girl standing beside him. Hope recognised her as the girl who had taken the gun from the resistance leader. Her eyes were wide in horror, and her face was pale as she watched the people fall. She clapped her hands over her mouth to stifle her cries, and turned her gaze away.

Ignoring her, Hope turned his eyes back to the bridge. Though he did not want to look, he scanned the bridge. When he could not find what he was looking for, he turned to look at the other side. That was when he saw her, and he froze.

* * *

Pain wracked Snow's body. Groaning, he forced himself to sit up. His head pounded. His vision blurred, and he shook his head. Tentatively he moved his arms. His muscles ached, but nothing seemed broken. Snow sighed in relief and then turned his attention to the woman lying in his lap.

Nora moaned, her face twisted in pain. Carefully Snow turned her over. He examined her, and was relieved when he could not see any serious damage. Holding her head gently in his hand, he pulled her close.

The sound of screams made him look up. When he saw the other side of the trussway sloping down and the dozens of people screaming as they fell over the edge, Snow's blood ran cold.

"No… No!"

There was nothing he could do. He could only watch as the people—people _he_ had recruited—fell to their deaths. He watched as they scrabbled for things to hold onto, only to see them lose their hold, get struck by debris… or by other survivors. One by one, everyone slipped and fell. He could not see Gadot or Lebreau. Had they already fallen? Snow shook his head. He could not accept that Gadot or Lebreau would die here.

Suddenly the path he and Nora were on gave a jolt. Snow looked up to see the joints holding their half of the trussway in place blow under the pressure, and their bridge also began to slope down. Snow looked around for something to hold onto, but there was nothing within reach. In desperation he tried to hold onto one of the plates, but in doing so he lost his hold on Nora. He reached for her but she slid out of his reach, heading towards the bridge's edge. Snow cried out but it didn't matter, for his fingers lost their hold on the plate and he fell down after her.

He slid past Nora and fell over the edge of the bridge. He caught sight of a jutting piece of metal and grabbed hold of it, wincing as his body swung to a stop. Nora fell over next, and Snow grabbed hold of her wrist as she fell past. They dangled together, hanging over the precipice.

The sound of screams roused Nora from unconsciousness. Opening her eyes, she stared blankly at the people continuing to fall from the other side. She looked down to the depths, and she knew then that she was going to die. Fear ran through her. She did not want to die here. But that fear was then replaced by another, more terrifying fear. Fear for what would happen to the one she had risked everything to protect.

She looked up. Her head swam and she feared she would lose consciousness again. She forced herself to remain conscious as she looked up at Snow, still clinging to both her and the bridge.

"Get him home…" she whispered. "Please…"

"Hold on!" Snow shouted.

But Nora just smiled. If there was someone there who could watch out for her son and get him home where he belonged, then she was happy. Her eyes rolled back into her head. Her mouth lost its smile as her face relaxed. She fell limp in Snow's hand, and her head dropped to her chest. Her wrist began to slide out of Snow's hand, but he grabbed her hand before he could lose his hold. Despite this, Nora continued to slip further. Snow tightened his grip, but it was no use. Nora's hand fell from his grasp.

Snow yelled.

* * *

Hope screamed.

* * *

Time seemed to stop as Nora fell. Snow's eyes widened, the image burning in his mind. Nora falling, and his hand still outstretched as he reached for her. He thought he saw her eyes open one last time before she fell out of his sight and into the depths below.

The bridge above him shuddered. Snow looked up in time to see the metal he was holding onto snap and break away. Snow yelled and clawed at the air, as he too fell down into the depths.

* * *

When Nora fell, Hope felt as if his heart had stopped and died. He was not aware of anything except for the sound of his own breathing, but even that felt distant and alien.

He did not see her land. His mind kept replaying that moment when Nora fell from the bridge. Although he was far away, his mind pictured him right beside her. To his mind's eye he could see the life leaving her eyes and her silver hair fluttering past her face. He felt the moment when she hit the ground and died, for that was the moment when his own heart stopped.

He felt hands press gently on his shoulders. It was the red-haired girl, but Hope could not bring himself to look at her. He just stared at the bridge. The resistance leader was still dangling, but as he watched the bridge shuddered and he fell as well. Just like her… his mother.

Behind him, the red-haired girl gazed at him in sympathy and understanding. She looked down, her face sad. She started to speak, but her words were cut off by an explosion that sounded nearby. Her face hardened and she moved in front of Hope and held his arm.

"Come on!" she said.

She tugged him, but Hope did not move. He continued to stare blankly at the bridge. Taking him by the shoulders, she forced him to face her and then slapped him hard across the face.

"We have to move!" she said.

The pain shocked Hope out of his trance. Life returned to his eyes, and he nodded. "All right," he whispered.

The girl nodded, satisfied. She took his hand and pulled him away from the bridge. But even as they walked, Hope's eyes drifted back to that empty space where his mother once stood… and died.


	7. Part 1: Chapter 7

**Final Fantasy XIII**

**Grace Barton**

**Chapter Seven**

As the transport bridge continued to make its way slowly across the Hanging Edge, Sazh placed his foot on the rail and sighed. There still seemed to be no end to the fighting. Airships still rolled by, and the flash of gunfire was present on almost every bridge.

He wondered how high the death toll was now. It wouldn't just be civilian deaths, but soldiers as well. How many had he and Lightning killed so far? Already he'd lost track. Though he had only killed soldiers in order to survive, it did not make him feel much better.

From their position on the bridge, they could see much of the Hanging Edge. Thankfully they were so high up they could not hear the screams of those who died, but they could still see everything that went on.

"It's an out-and-out massacre," he commented to Lightning. Two airships flew past as he spoke and opened fire on one of the nearby walkways. "These people won't even live long enough to die on Pulse."

"That was the idea."

Sazh spun to face her. "What?" he asked.

Beside him, Lightning's face was grave. "Sanctum logic," she explained. "They conjured up the Purge to eliminate a threat." She knelt, peering down at one of the walkways below. "I mean—why carry the danger all the way to Pulse?" She stood again and looked at Sazh. "Why not just stamp it out here?"

Her gaze turned outward, panning across the battlefield. Sazh did the same.

"Execution masquerading as exile," she concluded. "That's all the Purge ever was."

Sazh tried to sigh, but it turned into a laugh. "'Relocation to Pulse'. How does a government get away with pulling crap like that?" He started to pace but then stopped. He turned to Lightning, his eyes narrowing. "And you—you knew this was gonna happen?"

The former soldier shook her head. "The Purge was PSICOM," she replied. "Private Sanctum troops, not the Guardian Corps."

Shaking his head, Sazh paced behind her. "PSICOM, Guardian Corps…" He stopped. "Soldiers are soldiers, aren't they? Pulse fal'Cie and their l'Cie, are enemies of the state." He gestured to the dead soldiers lying on the ground behind them. "Tell a soldier to kill an enemy… …and you really think it's gonna matter what uniform he's wearing?"

Lightning clenched her fists. She turned to Sazh and strode past him. "Might have mattered to that one," she said, glancing down at the dead Enforcer lying closest to them. "Couldn't shoot, got himself shot instead."

She stopped on the other side and crossed her arms, looking out at the battlefield again.

After a moment, Sazh joined her.

"How about you?" he asked her. "Orders say shoot, you pull the trigger?" He waited for her reply, and when she didn't respond he threw up his hands. "Fine," he said, exasperated. "Forget I asked."

Lightning started to speak, but when something moved on the edge of her vision she snapped her head back front.

"Wait… what—"

An object zipped past the bridge. She followed it as it moved overhead until it reached the other side. Then, ducking beneath the roof, it flew towards them.

It was an aerial warmech. Different to the Manasvin Warmech they had fought, this one was much smaller but just as deadly. Balanced on three pointed legs, with a rotating arm on one side and a shield on the other, it was more like a large soldier than a machine.

"A Myrmidon!" exclaimed Lightning, recognising the mech.

The machine landed on the bridge, planting its needle-point feet onto the ground.

"A murmur-what?" asked Sazh.

Lightning drew her gunblade, extending it into its sword form. "PSICOM aerial support," she explained. She glanced back at Sazh. "You ready?"

Sazh spread his hands, his guns already in them. "You mean I have a choice?" he asked in return.

Lightning's lips twitched, and for a moment Sazh thought he saw her smile. But it then vanished as Lightning's face hardened, and she turned back to face the mech. She crouched, tensed her muscles, and then charged.

Seeing her move, the Myrmidon rose from the floor and zoomed forward. Bullets whooshed over Lightning's shoulder as Sazh opened fire to slow the mech in its tracks. In response the Myrmidon raised its right limb where, in place of an arm, it had a flat shield. The bullets clanged off the metal, ricocheting off the walls. When it reached Lightning, the mech lowered its shield and raised its other arm. The curved blade making up the lower half of the limb began to spin and it thrust it at Lightning.

As the limb was thrust, Lightning jumped into the air. She landed on the Myrmidon's upper arm. Her cloak skimmed over the whirling blade. Lightning struck the mech once with her sword, barely cutting through. Using the mech as a board, she propelled herself into the air. Her gunblade folded into its gun form and she fired three shots into its head. The Myrmidon shuddered and turned sharply towards her. It struck Lightning with its rotated arm as she descended and sent her flying across the bridge. Her sword fell from her hands, skidding towards the edge.

Seeing her down, the Myrmidon lunged towards her.

"Oh no, you don't!" cried Sazh.

He ran forward, releasing a blitz of rounds to stall the mech's attack. Since both he and the target were moving, most of the shots missed. However one hit its mark: a joint in the mech's rear leg. A bolt blew free and the Myrmidon leaned backwards. Unable to right itself, it veered off-course and slammed into a wall.

Sazh threw up his hands. "All right!" he said. "That showed you, huh!"

The Myrmidon's head turned about as it tried to comprehend its situation. Then, placing both arms against the wall, it pushed itself away. Its rear leg twitched but was still operational. The Myrmidon swivelled around, its head turning to fix on Sazh.

Sazh's face fell. "Or maybe not," he admitted.

Without warning, the mech rushed towards him. Sazh tried again to slow it down, but the bullets just pinged off its armour. He was about to turn and run for it when he saw Lightning run up behind the mech. Her gunblade in hand, she leapt onto the Myrmidon's back. With a cry she thrust her blade into it, and the Myrmidon skidded to a stop. It began to thrash, trying to throw her off. But Lightning held her face, planting her feet on its back and hide to keep her balance. Electricity crackled around her blade as she pushed it in deeper, breaking through its circuitry. The Myrmidon began to thrash harder, and Lightning felt her grip begin to slip.

"Shoot it!" she shouted at Sazh.

Sazh hesitated. "But you're—"

"Just do it!" she ordered.

Sazh raised his guns, but he did not fire. Even though she had ordered him, he could not fire while she was in range. The soldier was struggling now, and he could see her sword beginning to loosen. Sazh aimed, but instead of firing at the mech directly he shot downwards, at one of its front legs. Another joint snapped off, and the Myrmidon lurched forward. It thrust out its arms, using them to stop its fall.

With the mech now immobilised, Lightning withdrew her sword and jumped clear. Sazh started to ask if she was all right, but she shoved him aside. Raising her sword, she thrust it into the mech's chest, severing its power supply. The Myrmidon gave one last shudder before the lights of its face died and it slumped heavily onto its arms.

Satisfied that the mech had been disabled, Lightning sheathed her sword. Behind her, Sazh lowered his guns and let out a sigh of relief.

The sound of a siren cut through the air. Lightning and Sazh looked around them. The pilot then pointed towards the sky.

"What's that?" he asked.

At the far end of the Hanging Edge, a green criss-cross pattern appeared on the wall. The pattern grew and then widened as the wall itself split open. Glowing green light spilled into the area, lighting up the bridges and trussways, the ceiling above and the floors below. Lightning walked forward to the bridge's edge. She clasped an overhanging cable and leaned forward, gazing into the light.

Then it appeared. A massive, shadowy structure was lowered down and into the Hanging Edge. It hung over the chasm by cables attached to airships. Spotlights were on the structure at all times, and more airships circled it as it was led through the area.

Taller than a building, it resembled a large sword in its basic shape. Nobody knew what it really was, not even the Sanctum. To most it was just an old relic lifted from the hated world below. Its true purpose was shrouded in mystery, and no one had ever been able to get inside it… until now.

This was the cause of the Purge. This was the reason why they were all here now, in the middle of nowhere, fighting for a chance to live.

This was the Pulse Vestige.

* * *

When Snow opened his eyes, he thought was that he had died. Everything was dark, and he could not feel or hear anything. Then a green light flashed and pain shot through Snow's body, making him realise that he was not dead after all. Then his memories came flooding back to him, and he started to wish that he had.

The last thing he remembered was those moments on the bridge. He remembered Nora saving him, and then how she fell to her death. He had fallen as well, he recalled, but he could not remember how he had survived. Everything had gone black as he fell and then he had woken up here, gazing up at the dark sky.

"Attention Purge deportees. Attention Purge deportees." Snow winced as the voice boomed out to all corners of the Hanging Edge. "Put down your weapons and surrender immediately.

"Your removal is the will of the people of Cocoon. Should you attempt to flee, the Sanctum will employ every resource necessary to bring you to justice. This land is no longer your home. Cease hostilities and surrender at once."

_Sure thing,_ Snow thought. Groaning, he rolled onto his front. His head pounded, and his muscles ached with the movement. Gritting his teeth, Snow pushed himself to his feet and looked up at the Pulse Vestige.

The structure loomed over him. If he was still on the upper walkways, he could have jumped onto it. But he was not up there. Instead he was down here, far away from it… and from her.

"Serah!" he cried.

The Vestige passed by him. Snow looked ahead and saw that it was heading for a platform in the centre of the Hanging Edge. Here it stopped, poised over an abyss of darkness, as though waiting for someone to reach it.

* * *

Standing by Lightning, Sazh nodded up at the Vestige.

"Just what you were looking for," he told her.

Lightning nodded. "Yeah," she agreed. "Right in there."

Sazh grimaced. "The Pulse fal'Cie. Huh."

* * *

In another area of the Hanging Edge, Hope was also watching the Pulse Vestige's arrival. Though he should have been scared, knowing what it contained, he found that he could not feel anything. Not pain, not fear… not anything.

A ship flew past him, breaking him from his reverie. Pulling back his hood, he shook free his silver-blond hair—hair very similar to that of his mother. In fact he resembled her in more ways than just hair colour. His face was the same, and his eyes. Hope was always glad he resembled his mother more than his father. After all, that was how it should be.

When the hood touched his shoulders, Hope paused. His fingers rubbed the fabric. Then he bent, lifted the robes up, and dropped them onto the floor.

"Mom…"

Hope froze. He looked to the side and saw a young boy standing nearby. The boy appeared terrified and was crying without abandon. His mother was next to him, and when she saw his tears she knelt down and pulled him into her arms, stroking his hair.

"Don't worry," Hope heard her say. "We'll be okay."

Seeing them together brought a swift and painful ache deep inside Hope. His throat tightened, and his chest felt as though it would burst with the pain. Tears stung the back of his eyes, but try as he might he could not make them fall. In place of the boy he saw himself, and his mother in the woman's place. In his mind's eye he saw her looking down at him, and he could hear her voice as she tried to calm his fears.

"Mom…" he whispered.

A set of robes dropped next to him. Hope turned to find the red-haired girl standing beside him.

The first thing that struck him about her was how strange she looked. Her clothes were unlike anything he had ever seen. Her body was adorned with an array of beads and feathers and other unusual objects. She even had a pelt of what appeared to be bear fur hanging from the back of her skirt.

Now free of her cloak, the girl stretched and began adjusting her pigtails. Her hair was an unusual shade of red and very wavy, framing her face. Her eyes were green and had a playful twinkle of them as she caught Hope looking at her. She smiled at him.

But Hope could not smile back. He just stared at her, his face completely vacant.

The girl folded her arms. Then she bent down and picked up the gun that the resistance leader had given her. After looking at it for a moment, she thrust it into Hope's hands.

"Here," she said.

Hope stared at her, and then at the weapon. Knowing the reason for his vacancy, she looked at him in sympathy. She pulled him into a hug, stroking his hair.

"It's too much, isn't it?" she asked. When Hope didn't reply, she held him by the shoulders and gazed straight into his eyes. "Face it later," she told him.

Hope's eyes widened a little as her words sunk in. The girl smiled again. Releasing his shoulders, she stepped back and waved.

"Ciao!" she said, and then she ran off.

Hope blinked as he shook himself awake. "Hey! Wait!" he called.

The girl ignored him and continued on her way. Hope looked down at the gun in his hands. Throwing it onto the ground, he ran off in pursuit of her.

* * *

_You said it made you happy when I smiled, didn't you?_

_But really I was afraid._

_I was always afraid._


	8. Part 1: Chapter 8

**Final Fantasy XIII**

**Grace Barton**

**Chapter Eight**

The Pulse Vestige was a relic from the lower world of Pulse. Since it was nothing more than a landmark, no one had paid it much attention. It was simply a curiosity, part of the background, and an ever-present reminder of the hated world outside of Cocoon's protective shell.

When the Vestige opened and a Pulse fal'Cie—one of the god-like beings that dominated Pulse—was found inside, it became the catalyst of a terrifying chain of events that would threaten to tear Cocoon apart. Out of fear the Sanctum decreed that all the civilians inside of Bodhum should be gathered and purged from Cocoon. Taken from their homes, the people were sent to the Hanging Edge where, they were told, they would be transported to the world below. Instead the soldiers turned on them, seeking to eliminate the threat rather than move it elsewhere.

Yet while others fought to escape the massacre, Lightning was making her way deliberately towards the Hanging Edge. She would not say why, despite Sazh's attempts at drawing the information from her. Yet unbeknownst to her, Sazh was also making his way to the Vestige. And, like her, he was keeping his reasons to himself.

"So, how do you figure that Pulse fal'Cie is different from the Sanctum's?" the pilot asked as he watched the Vestige. He held out his hands as the chick left his hair and fluttered into his palms. "All things being equal, I'd just as soon keep wondering."

Lightning grunted but said nothing. She knelt at the bridge's edge and peered down at the lower walkways. Following the paths, she saw that one led right to the platform where the Pulse Vestige had been brought to a halt. She looked at her fingers. The grav-con unit trigger was lit, which meant that it was working again. Rising to her feet, she stepped back from the edge.

"Time to jump," she said.

"Yeah," agreed Sazh, not really listening. Then he caught on and turned to Lightning, who had moved back several paces. She then ran forward, heading straight for the edge. "Hey-hey-hey!" he cried. "Hey, hang on!"

He reached for her, but Lightning was too quick. She threw herself over the edge. Spreading her arms wide, she let the gravity catch her and pull her down.

Sazh ran to the edge. "What the—? Hey!"

Ignoring him, Lightning snapped her fingers. Her AMP cloak activated, covering her in a blanket of electricity. Now she pulled in her arms, hurtling towards the ground. Sazh looked away. Seconds before she hit the ground, a circular panel of electricity opened up on the ground. Lightning twisted her body the right way around, landing in the panel with as much ease as if she had just jumped off a wall. The air warped around her as gravity reaffirmed itself, and she stepped clear.

Up above, Sazh blinked in disbelief. "Damn," he said in awe. He looked down at the chick. "If she can do it, so can we!" he told it!

The chick chirruped in agreement and flew out of his hands. Sazh knelt at the edge and began to climb down. When he ran out of footholds he dangled, too afraid to let go. Then his sweating hands slipped from the bridge, and he plummeted downwards.

Hearing his scream, Lightning raised her head. She looked unconcerned as she watched him fall, and then ran out of the way and down the path. Seconds afterwards Sazh slammed onto the panel. The air warped and caught him just inches before he would have hit the floor, lowering him onto the ground. When he looked up and saw Lightning running ahead, and sighed.

He could not keep up with this girl.

* * *

"Come on. Come on!" urged Snow.

He slapped Gadot across the face. When he didn't respond, the fighter slapped him again, and then again. Just when he began to fear the worst, Gadot groaned and opened his eyes. Snow helped him to sit up. The big man winced and rubbed his arm. Then his eyes fell on the scene in front of him and froze.

All around him and Snow was the rest of the resistance. Killed by the fall, their bodies lay scattered and broken across the path. Some lay out in the open, but many more had been crushed beneath the broken bridge. From what he could see, not a single one of them had survived… except for him and Snow. A feeling of guilt stole over him as he turned away from the bodies, unable to look at them anymore. Then his eyes widened and he looked up at Snow.

"What about the others?" he asked, thinking of Maqui, Yuj and Lebreau.

Snow did not turn.

"They didn't die!" cried Gadot. "They couldn't have died!"

"Of course not," Snow agreed, though he knew he didn't sound convinced. He figured that Maqui and Yuj would be safe, since they had not come along with the main group. It was Lebreau he was worried about. He had not found her body amongst the others. That meant she either had not fallen and had escaped, or she was buried somewhere beneath the rubble. The fighter shook his head, unwilling to contemplate that.

He also had not found Nora. Though part of him was relieved that he did not have to see her body amongst the dead, he also felt guilty—horribly guilty—that he had not been able to protect her.

Guilt for Nora's death was not the only guilt he felt. When he had seen the crushed and battered bodies, he had felt more guilt than he had ever done before. These people had come with him out of their own free will. He had inspired their courage and encouraged them to take up arms. He felt he had given them a choice, but what choice did they have, really?

Gadot stood up. He gently rolled his injured shoulder and then tensed, causing it to crack into place. "Hey, get a grip, man!" he said to Snow. "What's wrong with you?"

Ignoring him, Snow frowned in thought. "'Get him home…'" he whispered. "Get _who_ home?"

Nora's last words were a mystery. He knew that she meant for him to get her child—her son—home where he belonged. But she had not told him who her son was. She had not given him a name. How could he possibly fulfil her dying wish when he had no idea who it was he was meant to protect?

An explosion sounded nearby. Snow turned and watched as an unmanned transport bridge crashed into a pillar. Flames erupted around it, and it began to fall from the skies.

Gadot watched him, a thoughtful look on his face. Stepping forward he said: "Toss me that," and pointed to a gun lying by Snow's feet.

Snow obliged. "Catch," he said, and threw the gun to Gadot. The big man caught it and held it out, pointing it at Snow. "What are you doing?" Snow asked, taking a step back.

"So what are you afraid of?" asked Gadot, his face dark. "You're supposed to be the hero." He scowled, but then he grinned. Hefting the gun onto his shoulder, he nodded up at the Vestige. "She's waiting there, isn't she? Your lovely bride-to-be. Isn't it about time you picked her up?"

Snow followed his gaze. His hand strayed to a pendant hanging around his neck. The pendant held a crystal model of Cocoon, complete with its broken shell, and a silver coil spiralling beneath it. It came as a set of two. Snow had one. His fiancé, Serah, had the other. The pendants were a symbol of their engagement, but for Snow it was also a promise that no matter what he would be by Serah's side and protect her at all costs.

Remembering Serah, Snow felt himself rise out of the gloom that had settled over him. The guilt for leading so many lives to their deaths remained, but it felt a little lighter when he remembered that there was still at least one other person he could protect.

"Yeah," he agreed.

Gadot nodded, satisfied. He and Snow then looked up as they heard the sound of vehicles approaching. They ducked down and hid as three air-cycles flew overhead. The bikes then turned and descended onto the bridge, landing some distance away.

The pair came out of hiding. "There's our ride," Snow said to Gadot.

Gadot laughed. "Now you're talking," he said and, gun still on his shoulder, began to stroll leisurely down the path.

Snow, however, stayed behind. He looked around at the bodies around him. "How could they?" he whispered. Though the guilt burned deep, he did not want to forget the lives that had been lost today. He wanted to burn them all into his memory, until he had a chance to redeem himself for their deaths.

Up ahead, Gadot stopped and looked back. "Stop that sulking and get your game face on!" he scolded, though his face was grinning.

Snow grinned back. He took one last look at the bodies. Somewhere in there was Nora. Bidding the brave mother a silent farewell, and a vow that he would get her son home, he hurried to catch up with his friend.

It did not take them long to reach the area of the trussway where the cycles had landed. Snow and Gadot ducked behind a crate and peered out. Several soldiers were scattered around the area, with one commander leading them.

"I want every weapon ready to fire," the commander was saying. "Stay sharp." The other soldiers obeyed and checked their weapons.

Snow made a quick count: five soldiers in all. He looked back at Gadot, who raised his gun.

"All right," the fighter said in a low voice. "On my go."

"Right," replied Gadot.

Snow raised his hand. He counted down from three and then shouted: "Go!"

With a cry, Gadot ran out. He fired on the soldiers, taking two of them down before they even realised they were under attack. The others reacted faster and jumped out of the way.

Now it was Snow's turn. Running out from his hiding place, he charged at the commander and knocked him down with one swift blow. While he was down, Snow turned and struck at another soldier, who dodged and raised his gun. Before he could fire bullets riddled him from behind, and he dropped to the floor. Gadot laughed as he turned to the other soldier, taking him out as well.

Now there was only the commander left. The soldier got to his knees and reached for his weapon, but Snow kicked it out of his reach. In anger the commander threw himself at Snow and swung his fist. The fighter almost laughed as he dodged the strike. Sweeping around him, he kicked the soldier in the back. The commander staggered as he tottered towards the path's edge. Snow ran into him, sending him barrelling into the rails. Gadot then lifted him and threw him over the side. The commander screamed, falling to his death.

Snow leaned over the edge and watched him fall. It would take a lot more than this to make up for the lives already lost here, but at least every soldier they took down was one less for the resistance.

"Hey, Snow! Over here!"

Snow turned. Gadot was inspecting the air-cycles. He ran his finger along the outer rim and then slipped himself into the seat. He revved the engine and then winced.

"That's a sad sound," he said. "Where's the soul?" He shook his head, and leaned over to figure out the controls. "Okay…"

Suppressing a smile, Snow climbed into one of the other bikes. He ran his fingers over the controls, which were neatly laid out and undecorated. Even the vehicles themselves had no soul, completely unlike the ones they had back in Bodhum.

Letting his fingers fall from the panel, he leaned out and gazed up at the Pulse Vestige. It had not moved from that spot. Somewhere in there was Serah, waiting for him to come and rescue her. She needed him. She needed her hero.

But then he thought of Nora, and her last words. Serah wasn't the only one who needed him. But how could he find the boy when he didn't even know his name?

"Hey, Gadot…" he said.

"Yeah?"

Snow looked down. "If you don't know who you've got to save, you just protect them all, right?"

Gadot leaned back in the cycle. "Something on your mind?" he asked. "You got plenty of time for thinking on the way… …Hero."

Snow smiled. "Yeah," he agreed.

He activated the cycle. The vehicle rose and hovered a few inches from the ground. Pulling on the control stick, the vehicle tipped back. Snow tilted the vehicle around and pulled up alongside Gadot, who was already in position.

"Ready…" said his friend, hunching over the controls.

Snow did the same. Both men looked at each other, their eyes glinting in excitement. Each revved their engines, and then—

"Go!" cried Gadot.

Snow pushed the controls forward and the air-cycle surged forward. Gadot's did the same. The two flew side-by-side for only a couple of seconds before Snow pulled ahead and took the lead. Letting out a laugh of exultation, the fighter pulled the air-cycle into a steep rise and sent it soaring up to the upper walkways. Once he reached them he levelled the vehicle off and began to head the way they had come before the bridge was destroyed.

As they flew over the trussway, Snow peered out. After the bridge collapsed, the army had come out in force. Dozens more bodies lined the path. The resistance members who had not fallen were drive back by the army and killed on the spot. Despite himself he also kept an eye out for Lebreau amongst the dead… but he could not see her anywhere.

_Maybe she survived,_ he thought to himself with a flicker of hope.

When they reached the area where they had split off from Maqui and his group of survivors, Snow started to lose hope again. There was nobody here. Then he remembered that Maqui was meant to double-back and meet up with Yuj, and he felt his hope rising again. Holding onto that thought, Snow revved the engine and pushed the vehicle further forward.

"Hey, Boss," Gadot called, pulling up alongside him. "I know you're worried and all, but you seem kind of in a rush."

Snow hesitated before answering. "Yeah, well, I need to make sure that the kids are all right."

"Huh," remarked Gadot, and was about to ask more when Snow suddenly leaned forward and pointed ahead.

Following his gaze, Gadot saw a large number of survivors on the path ahead of them. Almost at once he saw what had drawn Snow's attention: a head of bright blue hair standing out amongst the crowd.

Recognising Yuj, Gadot laughed. "Only Yuj could enter a warzone and make it look _fashionable,_" he joked.

It was not just Yuj they saw. Maqui was there as well, slumped on the ground with a worn-out look on his face. Lebreau was also there. When he saw her, Snow sagged in relief. She _had_ survived, after all.

Turning the air-cycles into a dive, they landed on the path. Seeing the cycles land and thinking they were PSICOM soldiers, the three members of NORA jumped to their feet and raised their guns.

Gadot threw up a hand. "Hey!" he said.

"Hey!" Snow called as well. "It's us, it's us! Don't shoot!"

"Snow!" cried Maqui.

The NORA members lowered their weapons and began to run over to them. Climbing out of his air-cycle, Gadot went over to Snow.

"Since when do you care about kids?" he asked.

Snow paused, and then said: "Favour for a friend."

"Okay," said Gadot, not really understanding, and then stepped back as the others caught up to them.

"Hey, Snow!" said Maqui. "You made it!"

Snow raised a hand. "Hey."

"Yo," greeted Gadot, a little miffed at being left out.

Lebreau and Yuj ran up behind Maqui. Snow looked Lebreau over. Apart from a few scrapes, she appeared to be uninjured. _Thank goodness,_ he thought, and then turned to Gadot as he prodded Maqui's gun.

"So, you really managed to use that thing?" he asked.

Maqui raised the gun. "Nah, I think I'm done," he said.

"You're done when we are," Yuj told him, and rapped Maqui on the head.

"Ow!" the boy winced, and everyone laughed.

While the members of NORA reunited, a solitary figure watched them from amongst the crowd. Hope's face was grave, and as his eyes fell on Snow, a deep rage began to boil from within him. It burned all the way through his body, from his head to the tips of his fingers and toes. His jaw clenched, and his fists began to shake.

_How,_ he asked himself. _How could he have survived? Why him, and not… Mom?_

The question continued to run through his mind, over and over. He had seen both of them fall. The resistance leader should have died then. Why had he survived, when his mother had not?

Then he remembered why his mother had been on that bridge in the first place. It was because of _him._ That man, Snow, had taken his mother away to fight in a useless cause, and led her to her death. Because of _him_, she was gone, and Hope would never see her face again.

"That's the one," he whispered.

The red-haired girl walked up beside him and peered at Snow. "Didn't you have something to tell him?" she asked Hope.

Hope pressed his lips into a thin line. "Yeah."

"All right, then!" the girl said in a cheery voice, and she began to walk forward towards the group.

"But… I…"

The girl stopped and turned back. The deep anger in Hope's face had gone, replaced by an even deeper fear. She understood why. Although Hope was angry, so very angry, he was also afraid. The grief he felt was too near and was suppressing the words he needed to say. If he did not relinquish that anger, it would only harm him in the end.

Leaning over, the girl looked up into his face. "I'll go with you," she suggested, hoping that would help.

Hope stared at her.

"What?" he tried to ask, and then looked up as Maqui's voice drifted over to them.

"You have no idea what it was like!" he was saying.

"Everyone safe?" asked Snow, looking around at the crowd. His eyes fell on Hope, and then passed over him.

Maqui and Yuj stood back to back. "The army's no match for NORA!" they exclaimed.

"I meant the kids," Snow said, though he could not suppress a chuckle.

Hope's anger flared. _He's… laughing!?_

Coming up behind the two teenagers, Lebreau rapped them both on the head. "Grow up!" she scolded them.

Yuj laughed and ducked out of reach of another smack. "All accounted for!" he reported.

"Okay," said Snow. He looked at his hand, remembering Nora's words. If all the children had survived, then her son must be among them. All he had to do was keep them all alive, and then he could get the boy home. "Let's keep it that way, all right?" he said.

Watching Snow, Hope tried to speak. He could feel the words on his tongue, but he could not speak. He tensed, trying to gather his courage, when the red-haired girl suddenly pushed him in the back.

"Go on!" she urged him.

Hope staggered and stopped. He stared down at the ground, unable to lift his eyes. He looked at his trembling hands. _What is wrong with me? Why can't I…?_

Sighing, the girl passed him. She waved. "Hey!" she started to call, but at that very moment Snow revved up his air-cycle, and her voice was drowned out.

"I'll swing by the Vestige," Snow said to his friends. "Keep the kids out of trouble."

"You got it," Gadot assured him. "Say hi to the missus for me!" He then laughed and turned to the others. "You go skirt-chasing, I take care of the kids. Some husband!"

"Dinner's on me," Snow said with a smile.

"Better be home cooking!" replied Gadot.

Yuj scooted in front of Gadot. "When's the wedding, lover boy?"

Snow snorted. "Don't worry," he said, "none of you are invited!"

Yuj's face fell. "We're still going!" he insisted.

"Hey, you serious!" cried Maqui.

"What about me?" asked Lebreau.

Snow lifted the cycle into the air. Looking down at his friends, he could not help but feel a touch of fondness for them. He could not have asked for a better group. Though untrained, they had pulled together in their fellows' time of need. This is what he had always hoped NORA would be—a group that people could depend in times of trouble. Each one of them had proven that they had what it took to defend those in need—even Maqui. He knew they would survive this and protect the survivors.

"Catch ya later!" he said and, turning the vehicle away, he set off.

Seeing Snow leave, the red-haired girl cried out. She waved, but Snow did not see them. The air-cycle left the skybridge and swerved upwards, heading towards the Pulse Vestige. The girl let her arm drop and looked back at Hope. The boy's eyes were still on Snow. Now that the fighter had gone, the anger had returned to his eyes. Clenching his fists, he ran forward.

"Wait!" the girl cried as he passed. "Come back!"

Hope ignored her. All he could see now was Snow, laughing and joking as though he had already forgotten what had happened.

_How can he be laughing,_ he asked himself. _How _dare_ he laugh? Mom is dead because of him! It's all his fault!_

He weaved his way through the crowd. Most of them had fallen back into despair, but Hope did not care about them. All he could think of was watching up to Snow, and then… what?

Hope slowed and stopped. His eyes gazed blankly on the ground before him. Just what _did_ he plan to do once he caught up with Snow? Would he freeze again and let the words slip from him?

Raising his eyes, Hope realised that he had stopped right in front of the other air-cycle; the one that Gadot had used. The rest of NORA were nowhere to be seen. Hope looked around. When had they left? He had been running blind and had not paid attention to where he was going. Yet he still found himself here.

He jumped as the red-haired girl walked past him and up to the vehicle. She peered inside, her eyes wide and curious. She turned back to Hope, and she frowned.

"Hm? You okay?" she asked him.

Hope looked away. "I want to tell him," he said, his voice shaking. "It's just that—"

Suddenly he reached out and grabbed the girl's wrist. She looked at his hand and then at him. His eyes were wide as he stared at her, and she knew what he was trying to say. He wanted to tell Snow, but he could not do it alone.

Turning, the girl looked up at the Vestige. If Hope missed his chance to tell Snow how he felt at his mother's death, it would be something he would regret forever. The regret and the grief would eat away at him bit by bit, keeping him from moving forward.

So she made her decision. In order for Hope to move forward, he needed to speak to Snow. In order to speak to Snow, they first had to catch up with him. So she pulled her wrist out of Hope's hand and pointed at the air-cycle.

"Say… You know how to fly this?" she asked.

"Yeah," replied Hope. "I think so."

"All right!" Giggling, she moved behind Hope. "In you go!" she laughed, and she pushed him into the cycle. Hope fell into the seat, almost banging his head on the other side. The girl climbed in behind him and pointed over his shoulder, towards the Vestige. "That way!" she told him.

Then she slipped her arms around Hope's waist and put her head onto his shoulder. The boy flinched at this sudden intimacy. Trying to ignore her closeness, he looked up at the Vestige. He gripped the controls, but then a shiver of fear ran through him and his hands froze.

"No, no…" he whispered, shaking his head. "If we go in there, that thing could—it could make us l'Cie."

The girl looked at him and then tore her eyes away.

Hope's grip on the control stick tightened. "This is… I don't think I can…"

His eyes widened as the girl's hands closed over his own. Turning, he met her green-eyed gaze. "You _can_ do it!" she told him.

Hope started to reply, when—

"What are you two doing?"

Hope and the girl looked up as Gadot started running towards them. Overcome by panic, Hope activated the air-cycle. The engines hummed, and the vehicle rose from the floor. The girl shrieked and clung to Hope, causing the bike to wobble and tilt back. Hope pushed the joysticks forward and the cycle moved in turn, flying over the edge of the path… where it suddenly stopped and plummeted.

"Uh-oh!" Gadot skidded to a stop and peered down into the chasm, searching for them. The cycle then reared up in front of him, making him fall back. He looked up as the cycle hovered next to the path, with Hope and the girl peering down at him. "Get back here!" he ordered them. "Do you hear me? Hey!"

But Hope did not listen. Instead he turned away and looked once more at the Vestige. Gathering all of his courage, he turned the air-cycle around. He left the bridge and all he knew behind, setting off in pursuit of Snow.

* * *

**End of Part One**

**Coming Next:**

**Part Two: The Gift of Eternity**


	9. Part 2: Chapter 1

**Final Fantasy XIII**

**Grace Barton**

**Part Two: The Gift of Eternity**

**Chapter One**

"I knew this was a bad idea!" Hope yelled.

The walls of the Pulse Vestige rushed by, as the air-cycle flew out of control alongside it. When Hope tried to right the vehicle the engines screamed in protest, emitting a black trail of smoke behind them. In desperation he pulled hard on the control sticks, but the vehicle refused to respond. They rose rapidly, moving faster and faster, until the Vestige was just a blur.

The red-haired girl shrieked and clutched onto Hope. She looked left and saw the Vestige walls looming closer. Then her eyes widened, and suddenly she reached out and snatched the controls from Hope.

"Here!" she cried, and she pulled the stick to the left.

The vehicle responded and swerved to the left. The pair screamed and held on for dear life as the bike approached the Vestige and crashed into it. Hope heard the smash of glass, but then forgot about it as the bike jolted and dipped forward. The cycle's engines failed, and the rest of the world became a blur as they spun downwards. He just about heard the girl shout for him to jump, but he did not remember doing so. The next thing he knew he was falling, and then a loud thud as he landed, followed by the crash of the cycle.

For long moments, the world was black. Hope opened his eyes and winced as his senses returned, filling his body with pain. He groaned and shifted. The floor felt strange: parts of it were hard and cold, while others were soft and warm. Hope lifted his head and groaned again.

He heard a groan in reply, and when Hope looked down he saw the source of the 'soft and warm' part of the floor. It was the girl. She must have jumped out before him, and he had landed right on top of her. Hope climbed off her and she sat up, holding her head. Dust and dirt speckled her red hair, falling around her shoulders as she shook them loose.

"Wow," she said in a dazed voice. "That was close."

Hope rubbed a scrape on his arm. _Close doesn't even begin to describe it,_ he thought, but he kept it to himself.

The girl brushed herself down and got to her feet. After checking herself over she looked around. "Now, where is the…" she began, and then stopped as her eyes fell on the bike.

The air-cycle was ruined beyond repair. It had landed several feet behind them, perched on the end of a ledge. The cabin was crushed, and the seats inside were perforated by a jutting piece of metal. The wheels had broken off, and smoke poured from the engine. Hope stared at it. If they had still been inside, they would have been killed. He gulped.

"Oops," said the girl, though she did not sound particularly dismayed. Putting her hands on her hips, she turned away. "Well then…"

She looked around her. They had 'landed' in a large, open room made up of a maze of floating walkways. The ceiling loomed above them, and greenish lights cast an eerie pall over the place. Steam was flowing from somewhere; they could see it drifting down a set of stairs ahead of them. The girl looked at those stairs and at the paths around her, taking it all in. Her face fell a little, and she crossed her index and little fingers across her chest.

"Guess it's just us," she whispered.

"What did you expect?"

The girl turned to find Hope still sitting on the floor. The boy's face was grave, and his skin was pale. His hands shook as they clutched at his trousers with barely concealed anxiety.

"Even soldiers know not to go near the fal'Cie," the boy said. His voice broke. "You become a Pulse l'Cie, and you're finished."

"What do you mean, 'finished'?" the girl asked.

Hope stared up at her as though she was stupid. "Haven't you heard, Miss—"

"Vanille."

"Huh?"

"My name." The girl offered her hand. "And yours?"

He paused before looking away and taking her hand. "Hope," he replied.

Vanille pulled Hope onto his feet. She then began to brush the dust and dirt from his hair and clothing, like a mother tidying up her child. Hope kept his eyes on the ground, afraid to look at her.

"Thank you," he said once she had finished. He stepped back, but he could still feel her eyes boring into him as she waited for him to speak. Instead of looking at her, Hope turned his eyes to their surroundings. "What were we thinking?" he whispered.

Vanille smiled and shrugged her shoulders. "Well, since we're here, let's look around!" she said. Before Hope could protest she twirled away, her pelt spreading out behind her, and she skipped away.

Hope shook his head. This girl—Vanille—was strange in many ways, and more than just the clothes she wore. Even as she stood inside a Pulsian relic, she did not show even an ounce of fear. _Now that I think about it,_ he thought, _she didn't seem all that afraid in the Hanging Edge, either. Is there something wrong with her?_

Realising that he was being left behind, Hope hurried to catch up with her. Vanille held her head high as she walked, her eyes wide as she took in everything around her. Hope, meanwhile, kept his eyes down, not wanting to look at anything at all.

Suddenly Vanille let out a cry of joy. "Oh, check this out!" she said, and broke into a run.

"Hey!"

Vanille ignored Hope's cries and leapt up the stairs. On either side was a tall, flat altar, though they held no decorations of any kind. Vanille approached one of the altars and stopped beneath it. Her face grinning, she began to climb.

"Vanille!" called Hope. "What are you—"

He watched as she climbed onto the altar's mid-section. On her knees, she leant over and grunted as she scrabbled for something on the other side. She then cried out and lurched forwards, causing Hope to flinch in fear that she would fall. Righting herself, she gave a shout of triumph and pulled back. She got to her feet and turned to Hope, holding an object in her hands.

"Well?" she asked.

In her hands she held a long, two-pronged staff. Hope knew it was meant to be a weapon of some kind, as detailed by the sharp hooks sticking out of the prongs. Imagining what those hooks could do if they latched onto his skin made Hope shiver. "That's, uh…" he began.

Vanille did not seem to notice his discomfort. She gave the staff a few practice swings, laughing at the way it moved easily in her hands. Then she hoisted it onto her shoulder and turned to Hope, a big grin on her face. Seeing her, Hope could not help but feel that the staff suited her. Something about the way it was made complemented her overall appearance, as though the two were part of the same whole. It was an odd notion, and he shook it off quickly.

He was saved from his awkwardness by a roar behind them. Vanille's eyes snapped up and she pointed to a pillar behind Hope. Turning, Hope jumped as he saw a Pantheron there. The hound had spotted them and jumped off the pillar. It stalked towards them, its fangs bared.

As the mechanical beast moved forward, Hope stepped back. Vanille however ran forward and faced the creature. Her face hardened as she raised the staff, poised and ready for battle. Hope stared at her, wondering how she could face the mech without any shred of fear. Reaching into his back pocket, he pulled out his boomerang. At the push of a button it flicked open. It hummed, buzzing in his hand. Gritting his teeth, Hope stepped forward to stand beside Vanille.

"You're gonna regret this!" Vanille shouted to the mech.

Ignoring her warning, the Pantheron ran and then leapt at them. Hope raised his boomerang to throw but froze at the last second. Seeing him freeze, Vanille pulled him out of the way. The Pantheron's paws slammed onto the ground where the boy had stood, and roared in anger.

"We can't kill something like this!" Hope protested as he pulled away from Vanille. "It's useless!"

"Don't be such a quitter!" she scolded.

She ran forward and swung her staff over her head. The hooks on the ends of the prongs detached and flung out. Attached to the hooks were thin wire cables that emitted a buzz as they flicked through the air. They wrapped around the middle of the Pantheron as it turned. The hooks snagged onto the metal plates. Vanille tugged the staff and the cables drew back until they snapped tight, and the Pantheron was caught in her grasp.

Hope's eyes widened. "How did you…?" he asked.

"Never mind that!" shouted Vanille. "Just get it!"

The Pantheron was straining against the cables, trying to break free. Hope shook his head and raised his boomerang. After taking careful aim, he threw it.

The improvised weapon flashed through the air. It missed the Pantheron and swerved into the air. Hope was not worried, for attached to his hand, beneath his glove, was a small controller that was electronically linked to the boomerang. Raising his hand, Hope swung his arm in a long arc, and the boomerang turned and spun in the same direction. When Hope moved his hand in a downward swipe, the weapon did the same and clunked the Pantheron in the middle of its back. Stunned, the Pantheron dropped onto the floor.

At Hope's gesture, the boomerang swerved again and headed towards him. The boy caught it in one-hand; an expert catch.

"Nice!" said Vanille, impressed.

The Pantheron gave its head a shake and got to its feet. With the hooks and cables still wrapped around its body it could not go anywhere, except to run right towards them. Seeing it about to charge, Vanille pushed a button on the staff and the hooks unlocked. The cables unwound and returned to the staff, with the hooks once more on the end of the prongs.

Now released from its bonds, the Pantheron was free to charge. It ran right at Vanille and leapt into the air. Hope was about to throw his boomerang again when Vanille swung her staff. The cables flicked out, and the hooks latched onto the mech's plated underbelly. With one swift and powerful flick of the staff, Vanille turned the tables and threw the mech right over her. Defenceless in the air, the Pantheron crashed onto the ground close to the path's edge.

"Now, Hope!" she said.

This time Hope did not hesitate. He hurled his boomerang, and it struck the mech in the side of its head as it tried to stand. Knocked off-balance, it wobbled and teetered. Its paw caught the edge of the path and slipped. The mech scrabbled, but lost its grip and plummeted over the other side.

Vanille ran to the edge and peered down. The ground was a long way below them, and she could barely see the hound when it landed. Although a mechanical creature and not a living thing, she still winced when it hit the ground. Her sympathy was only momentary, however. Smiling in satisfaction, she pushed a button on the staff. The rod folded over upon itself, clicking into place. Vanille hooked it onto her pelt and turned away from the edge.

"Okay! Back to exploring!" she said, and then continued where she left off by heading up the stairs.

Hope hurried to catch up with her. He looked down at his boomerang and then at the folded staff on her pelt. He felt a pang of jealousy. Despite her unusual cheeriness and apparent naivety as to their situation, Vanille had run into the battle without any hesitation or fear for her own safety. How he wished, more than anything, that he could face it with the same lack of fear that she did.

_But… I could never be like that,_ he thought miserably.

For in truth, he was very afraid. More afraid then he could ever remember. When he had learnt that there was a Pulse fal'Cie in Bodhum he had been scared. He was even more scared when he and his mother were ordered onto the train to be Purged to Pulse. And more scared still when he saw the carnage the Purge had brought.

Yet now he was more scared than he had ever been. For in this building was a Pulse fal'Cie. Fal'Cie had the power to curse humans and make them into l'Cie. Robbed of their humanity, l'Cie were nothing more than slaves to their fal'Cie masters.

There was no record of there ever being l'Cie on Cocoon. The fal'Cie who worked to maintain Cocoon's safety and wellbeing had no need of them. Yet even so people were cautious not to stray too near to the fal'Cie, so afraid were they of becoming l'Cie. After all, who wanted to become a monster?

But Vanille did not seem concerned by that thought. He wondered if she even knew. It seemed impossible that she wouldn't know. Every citizen on Cocoon knew about the dangers of Pulse. It was bred into them at an early age to stay away from anything that was from Pulse. Pulse was a cursed place, a place of evil, to be avoided at all costs.

_What if there are Pulse monsters in here,_ Hope found himself thinking. _How can we fight them? What if we find the fal'Cie? I don't want to become a l'Cie!_

He was so occupied with his thoughts that he did not realise that Vanille had stopped. He only realised this when he walked into her. The girl was looking around her, as though trying to gauge where she was.

Hope folded his boomerang and slipped it into his back pocket. "How are we supposed to get out of here?" he asked, coming to stand beside Vanille.

Vanille did not answer. She frowned and pointed ahead. Following her gaze, Hope saw another Pantheron was just ahead. It had its back to them, for which Hope was thankful, and had not seen them. But the Pantheron was not the only thing here. There was another pair of Pantherons behind the first one, and some more militarised units that Hope had never seen before.

"I thought this place was supposed to be empty?" he said.

"I guess not," replied Vanille.

She reached for her staff, but Hope grabbed her hand. "Let's… let's just sneak past here," he said.

Hearing the gentle note of pleading in his voice, Vanille nodded and let go of the staff. "I guess you're right," she said. "If we cause too much ruckus it might bring whoever owns these creatures over to us, right?" She grinned and pointed to the right, where another set of stairs led down and away from the enemies. "Okay, let's try that way!" she suggested, and ran off. Hope followed her, shaking his head.

After sneaking past the Pantheron and heading down the steps, they stopped again as another group of the strange units they had seen a moment ago. Hope did not how to describe them. They were neither insect-like nor beast like. They balance almost precariously on two tiny legs, with a single narrow bar for eyes, and a floating square around it. They did not look powerful and, thankfully, had a narrow field of vision, and so the pair was able to sneak past unnoticed.

Once the mechs had waddled off, Vanille and Hope broke into a run again. They had not made it more than a few strides before Vanille stopped again and grasped Hope's hand.

"Look!" she exclaimed.

Hope saw what she was looking at. "Is that—?" he wondered.

Lying against a nearby wall was an air-cycle. It was in the same poor condition as theirs, as though someone else had crash-landed in this exact same area. It looked to be the exact same make as the one they had 'acquired', leaving no doubt in Hope's mind as to whom it belonged.

"Hmm. That's his," he said. "Where is he?"

Vanille knelt down by the cycle and poked it. "He must have already left," she guessed.

Thinking of Snow, Hope felt his anger begin to bubble and he clenched his fists. Turning his back on the vehicle, he tried to put a lid on his feelings.

Vanille got to her feet. There were no other paths for them to take; their only route was right over the wall. "Well, at least he's here, somewhere," she said. She nodded her head at the wall. "Ready to go?"

"Go?"

"Over."

"Over?"

With a laugh, Vanille jumped onto the air-cycle. Before Hope could stop her she had climbed from that to the wall, and disappeared over the side. Terrified at the thought of being left behind in this dark place, Hope climbed over after her.

On the other side of the wall was a path. Unfortunately it also led to a dead-end, and they were no better off than they were before. Despite this, Vanille continued to walk on, humming quietly to herself.

Hope walked a few steps behind her. "Aren't you scared?" he asked her suddenly.

"Not so much," Vanille replied without turning.

Hope stopped and looked at the ground. "You really don't get it."

Now it was Vanille's turn to stop. Putting her hands on her hips, she spun around to face him. Her brows drew together as she scowled, and she strode towards him. "Pulse fal'Cie and l'Cie are bad news," she said, passing him. "That's why Cocoon kicked them out. Live too close to the fal'Cie? One way ticket to Pulse. That's the Purge in a nutshell."

"If they catch us here, they'll Purge us too," Hope pointed out. "And then—"

"What's your problem?"

"What's my—" Hope could hardly believe his ears. "Pulse is hell on earth!"

Vanille stared at him, her gaze steady. Then she walked over and put her arms around him.

"We'll be okay," she assured him. "Calm down!"

Hope grunted and shoved her away. "Get off me," he snapped, and he turned his back on her. Vanille stepped back, twisting her hands together. She started to speak, but then stopped and looked up as a voice pierced the air.

"Serah! Can you hear me? Where are you?"

* * *

Elsewhere, not far from where Hope and Vanille were, Snow was making his own exploration of the Vestige.

The loss of the air-cycle had been a critical mistake on his part, but not a devastating one. He knew that there were more ways inside the Vestige than just this one, which meant that there were also other ways out. He was determined to find them, and he would be taking Serah with him.

Thinking of Serah brought a swift ache to his heart. Was she still waiting for him, or had she given up hope? Was she okay, all alone here?

But of course she wasn't alone. The Pulse fal'Cie was here as well. But Snow was not worried about the fal'Cie. All he cared about was Serah, and bringing her home. He touched the pendant on his chest, feeling the cool crystal under his fingers.

"Don't worry, Serah," he whispered. "Your hero is on his way."

He released the pendant and turned his attention to the task at hand. He needed to find his way out of here. The Vestige was made up of several floors that were not connected in any way. Before him was a maze of winding pathways that did not lead anywhere, only to dead-ends.

The one thing he had learnt about the Vestige since entering it was that there was no way to learn about it just through looking. For so long people had debated the purpose of the Pulse structure, but Snow doubted anyone could have guessed its purpose even if they had been able to get inside it.

His eyes followed the paths and saw that they converged at a single point at the far end. There Snow saw what looked from a distance to be an altar of some kind. A glowing green crystal was positioned at the top, acting like a beacon to guide his way.

"Wonder what that's for," he said aloud. His voice echoed in the hall's eerie stillness. Snow grinned and clenched his fists. There was only one way to find out what that altar was for.

He crossed the hall, all the while keeping his eyes open for signs of enemies. There had been a surprising number of PSICOM military units inside the Vestige. Snow guessed them to belong to the soldiers who had entered the Vestige a few days before… and had never come out. Their pets, however, were still around, so whatever had happened to the soldiers had not affected them.

This area, however, was empty, and Snow was able to cross the hall without interruption. Reaching the altar, he leant over to examine it.

The crystal was unusual in that it was not connected to any electronic device, and emitted its own gentle glow. The altar was undecorated but there was a form of writing engraved upon it, though Snow could not read the dialect. There were no buttons, only a flat panel, leaving Snow perplexed as to how it worked. He figured it had something to do with the crystal, since that was the only thing that seemed to hold any kind of power.

"Just hold on, Serah," he whispered, and he touched a panel below the crystal

The green hue shifted to orange, and a beam of orange light fell upon the altar. More light shone behind him and Snow turned to see several other altars light up on the paths. He had not noticed these ones because their crystals were dark, but like a chain reaction they all lit up now. Guessing this held some purpose, Snow went over and stood in the centre of them.

He heard a rumble beneath him. Snow then watched in amazement as the paths around him detached and began to move. Some descended, others turned, and others rose from below. As each one locked into place they glowed a deep red.

A brighter glow behind him made Snow turn.

"What… That's—"

Shining over the rear paths was a symbol. It sent a chill through his body when he saw it, for he had seen that very symbol once before. That was the symbol of the Pulse fal'Cie, which they used to brand their feared l'Cie servants. Any human marked by that brand became a l'Cie, and a hated enemy of Cocoon.

Luckily this was not a brand from a Pulse fal'Cie, and only signified the arrival of a platform that had, until then, been hidden from view. After a few seconds the brand faded, leaving only the platform behind. Snow stepped out of the ring of altars and looked up at the platform.

"I'm coming, Serah," he whispered. "Just wait a little longer, okay?"


	10. Part 2: Chapter 2

**Final Fantasy XIII**

**Grace Barton**

**Chapter Two**

With a yell, Lightning brought her sword down upon the barrier. The blade flashed and bounced off, emitting a small shower of sparks that fell around her.

In front of the door, the Pulsian symbol glowed and then went dark. Each time Lightning had struck the door, this symbol had flashed as though in defiance, barring her entry. Lightning rubbed her shoulder and then hit the door again.

A few feet behind her, Sazh crouched against the wall and sighed. The soldier had been at this for almost ten minutes now, trying to force her way into the Vestige. He thought she would have given up by now and looked for another way in, but she remained determined. No matter what, she would get inside.

There were few soldiers around the base of the Vestige. Sazh was surprised at this, until Lightning had pointed out that no one would want to be this close to a Pulse fal'Cie. Anyone with an ounce of sense would stay well away from it.

_So what does that say about us,_ Sazh wondered. While everyone else was trying to get away from the Vestige, he and Lightning were trying to get _in._

Lightning had said she was going after the fal'Cie, but she had not given a reason why. On that note she remained completely silent, leaving Sazh to speculate as to her ultimate goal. At first he thought it was arrogance: she was a skilled soldier, so did she consider herself powerful enough to take on a fal'Cie? But no. Despite the soldier's aloof and secretive attitude, he did not get the impression of her.

Was it compassion then? Did she intend to seek out the fal'Cie and ask it to leave Cocoon in peace and put an end to the killing? Sazh shook his head. That did not seem like her either.

Eventually he ran out of ideas and contented himself to watch her trying to break through the Vestige's barrier. Though mere energy, her sword bounced off the barrier as though it had struck a solid surface. Each blow jarred her, he could tell, but she kept at it.

Finally, though, Lightning stopped striking and lowered her sword. She lifted her gaze and looked up at the building.

"Still won't budge?" Sazh asked, getting to his feet. "I think the door is winning."

Lightning ignored him. Her lips pressed into a thin line as she tore her eyes away from the Vestige. "Why didn't I listen?"

"Uh, beg your pardon?" asked Sazh.

Again, Lightning paid no attention. She stepped forward. The barrier vibrated with a gentle pulse, making her skin tingle and the hair on her arms rise. "It was me," she whispered, and she clenched her fist. "This is my fault." Her face twisted in pain.

"Beg your pardon?"

Lightning relaxed her hand. When she looked up again, her face was once again a mask of cold indifference. Whatever feelings had overwhelmed her, she had pushed them aside. "Cover your ears," she ordered.

Sazh blinked in confusion and then opened his eyes wide. "Oh, blast charge?" he said as he guessed her intent. "Hold on, hold on."

He ran back several feet, putting a good distance between himself and the door. He threw himself onto his knees and clamped his hands over his ears.

"All right," he shouted, "go for it! Make it happen!"

Lightning turned back to the Vestige. She looked up at it. The great structure loomed above her, looking eerie in the greenish spotlights that were on it at all times. Returning her attention to the door, the soldier reached out her hand and laid it upon the barrier. A ripple of light shimmered across it, causing her fingers to tingle. Her mask slipped again and Lightning closed her eyes.

"I'm so sorry. Please let me in. Please?"

As if hearing her words, the barrier shielding the Vestige lifted. Lightning stepped back from the door as it rose, permitting her entry.

Hearing the door open, Sazh jumped to his feet. "What the—hey!" he exclaimed, pointing at the door in amazement.

Lightning sheathed her sword. Once more the mask had returned to her face. "Right," she said, mostly to herself.

Sazh ran over to her. "What did you—how'd you open it?" he demanded.

He tried to move in front of her, but Lightning thrust out her arm and stopped him in his tracks. Sazh waited for her to say something, but she did not. Instead she walked through the open doorway, taking the lead.

"After you," the pilot said, a little miffed, and then walked in after her.

Once inside, the door closed behind them. It closed with such finality that Sazh grew nervous, as though now they were inside the Vestige intended on them to say. He put that down to his frayed nerves, and hurried to stay close to Lightning.

They entered a long ambulatory. The corridor was empty apart from a trio of Pantherons at the other end. Lightning stopped and grasped her sword. The hounds were lying down, as if waiting for their masters to return.

"In here too, huh?" said Sazh, pulling out his guns.

Lightning drew her gunblade. "Seems like it," she said.

There was no way to sneak around the hounds. At a nod from Sazh, Lightning drew herself up and charged.

The Pantherons saw her approach and jumped up. Lightning leapt over the first one and struck down the ones behind it taking them out in two swift blows. Sazh, meanwhile, took out the first one, shooting it down before it had a chance to turn.

But the Pantherons were not military units to be found in the Vestige. Zwerg Scandroids – the strange little units found elsewhere in the Vestige—also roamed the ambulatory halls. There was even a Myrmidon, much to Sazh's dismay. Like the Pantherons this enemy also could not be avoided, leaving them no choice but to fight their way through.

Once they had defeated the Myrmidon, which had been guarding a set of stairs, the pair made their way up. Lightning again took the lead, with Sazh trailing close behind her.

"If those things are still around, might be some soldiers trapped in here, too," he said, glancing back at the mech. "Except they'd probably be l'Cie by now. Not even human anymore. Just Pulse l'Cie. Enemies of Cocoon." He sighed. "Can't show 'em any mercy."

Lightning stopped. Though Sazh could not see, her face was twisted again into an expression of pain. Her hands clenched. She knew very well what a Pulse l'Cie was, and how much Cocoon feared them.

She knew very well.

* * *

While Lightning and Sazh were making their way through the Vestige's lower halls, Snow was continuing his own exploration of the upper levels.

He had nicknamed this area the 'House of Stairs', for the simple reason that that was all there seemed to be in this strange place. Each time he activated an altar the stairs began to shift and turn, giving him access to places he couldn't get to before while taking others out of his reach. Sometimes the altars summoned a platform, allowing him to descend to another level.

He had not found Serah yet, but he was not daunted. She was in here, somewhere, of that he was sure. Every shift of the stairs brought him one step closer to finding her. All he had to do was keep going forward and, eventually, he would find her. Then they could leave the Vestige together, and go back home.

"There's the next one," he said aloud as he spotted another altar in the middle of the hall.

But this altar had guards. A Pantheron and two Zwerg Scandroids hovered around it, though they had not noticed him yet.

"I guess PSICOM made it this far, at least," Snow guessed.

He assessed the situation. It was three against one; not bad odds under normal circumstances. But he did not have Gadot or Lebreau to back him up, and he had run out of grenades as well. He also had no Potions, so he could not heal any injuries he sustained. However, that altar was the only way forward. No matter what, he _had_ to get to it.

"In that case," he said with a grin, "I'll just have to make sure I don't get hurt!"

His mind made up, he ran towards the altar. The Pantheron spotted him at once and ran towards him. Snow punched the hound as it leapt at him and sent it flying back. It hit the altar and fell to the ground.

His clash with the Pantheron drew the attention of the Scandroids. A beam of light emanated from the narrow bars on their faces, scanning him. After processing his data, they waddled forward. Amazed that the PSICOM engineers had even designed these little droids, Snow stepped up to them and snatched them up. The two droids wriggled and beeped in his hands, confused. Snow held them both out and then brought them together, crushing them in his grasp.

Dropping their remains to the ground, he turned his attention back to the Pantheron. The hound was on its feet again, but instead of attacking it stayed where it was. Snow spread his feet and crouched, gesturing for the mech to come and attack him. But the hound did not move. It remained rooted to the spot, waiting for him to make the first move.

Snow grinned. "Fine," he said. "I'll bite. Here I come!"

He ran. When he swung his fist, the Pantheron jumped back out of reach. It lunged and snapped its jaws, trying to catch Snow's hand before he could pull it back. But Snow expected the counterattack and pulled back just in time. Dropping into a low crouch he swung his leg out and struck the Pantheron's forepaws. Caught off-guard, the Pantheron yelped and fell forward.

Not waiting for it to recover, Snow leapt onto its back. Grabbing its head in his hands, he twisted it to the side. The hound resisted and bucked its back, trying to throw him off. Snow clamped his legs around it and held it down. He gritted his teeth and tried to twist the head again. The hound's jaws snapped, but the fighter kept his fingers out of its reach. After one final tug, the neck snapped. Its power supply cut off, the hound powered down and sagged beneath him.

Snow turned his attention back to the altar. As expected, the crystal's green light turned orange when he touched it. Hearing a hum ahead, Snow raised his gaze and saw a floating platform descend to his level. "All right," he said, and hurried over to it.

Before jumping on, Snow took a moment to look up. The many levels of the Vestige hung over him. Somewhere up there, Serah was waiting for him. He jumped onto the platform, and it began to descend.

"Hang on, baby!" he called. "Your hero's on the way!"

* * *

"Hang on, baby! Your hero's on the way!"

Lights lit up long the ceiling. Beams came down and connected with corresponding altars on the ground. Hope and Vanille looked up as the path alongside the platform where they stood rumbled. A set of stairs rose from the ground, joining their platform to the path.

Ignoring the stairs for now, Hope raised his gaze and looked up at the ceiling, where the voice had come from. "He _is_ here," he realised. "Calling himself a hero…" He clenched his hands. He felt sick.

A red glow shone overhead. At the end of the corresponding path, a red Pulsian symbol glowed over a large doorway. It faded away even as they watched, leaving the door unguarded.

Vanille turned back to Hope. "He's coming our way," she said.

The anger in Hope's face faded, turning to fear. "What should I do?"

"Tell him what you need to!"

"But," Hope hesitated, "nothing I say will change what happened."

Vanille folded her arms. "We could just run away," she suggested.

Hope looked down. Running away… It was tempting. Coming here had been an act of rashness—a mistake. He should have stayed with the other survivors. Seeing his mother die, and now being here… it was too much to face.

He nodded.

Grabbing his hand, Vanille led him over to the stairs. She seemed to know where she was going despite never being here before, so Hope allowed her to lead him on.

The doors at the end of the path opened automatically as they approached. They led into a long, dark tunnel, with a single set of doors on the other end. Though Vanille walked with confidence, Hope felt a pang of nervousness. What if the door didn't open? Suppose the door behind them closed again, trapping them inside? He shook his head, trying to ignore those thoughts.

His fears were unfounded. The door behind them stayed open, and the door ahead slid open as they neared it. They walked through and entered a large, open hall, with a single path leading forward. Here Vanille paused and looked around, gathering her bearings. After a moment she nodded and headed down the path.

"Do you even know where we're going?" Hope asked, still behind her.

"Of course," Vanille replied. "This is the Oblatorium."

"The Oblatorium…"

"It's where offerings are made."

"How do you…?"

Vanille stopped. After looking around, she pointed off to the side. There Hope saw plates of rotted food and clothing bunched up on flat-topped altars on either side of the path. "See those?" she said. "Those are offerings to the fal'Cie. Therefore, this must be the Oblatorium."

Now she turned and pointed back the way they came. "That room we were just in was the Sacrarium. That's a place where sacred objects are held."

"Sacred objects? Like that staff?"

Vanille pulled out the staff and held it out. "Exactly. Someone must have left it there. Those platforms we saw were altars, meant to hold sacred objects. I guess this one just sort of… fell off!" She laughed.

But Hope looked unconvinced. "How can a staff be sacred? It's just a stick."

A look of frustration crossed Vanille's face, but she quickly suppressed it. "Have _you_ ever seen a staff like this?" she asked him.

"Well, I… …No."

Now Vanille looked smug. "Well, then!" she said. "Then surely it must be sacred. Otherwise no one would have left it here!"

Despite her logic, Hope still was not convinced. He shook his head. Sacrariums, Oblatoriums… They were just rooms. What they held made little difference. In the end this was a building from Pulse. To call anything from Pulse 'sacred' was just… insane. Nothing sacred came from Pulse.

"Let's just keep going," he said, brushing past Vanille and heading down the path. Vanille watched him go. She looked down at the staff in her hands. Folding it up, she slipped it back onto her pelt and then hurried to catch up with him.

The Oblatorium was quieter than the Sacrarium, with no sign of any PSICOM units. In fact there was no sign of life of any kind, except for themselves. There was also no sign of a way out yet Vanille walked on with confidence, as though she had walked these halls many times before.

Ahead of them, a set of stairs rose up to a central platform. Three other paths branched off from this, making the platform a central crossroad. Hope followed Vanille up the steps, and for the first time since entering the Vestige, he looked around. The walls of the Vestige rose high on either side of him, seeming to go so high they merged into the ceiling.

"Whoa," he breathed, turning his head.

Despite its origin, the Vestige was truly a spectacular sight. Everything was so different, so alien, and yet it was also… welcoming. It was as though some part of him almost _wanted_ to be here. The thought filled him with horror, and he tried hard to ignore it. Instead he thought of the fal'Cie, waiting somewhere within these walls, watching them…

Vanille let out a gasp, bringing his attention back to their immediate surroundings. He stopped behind her as she pointed ahead, her face pale.

He heard them before he saw them. Deep, chilling roars echoed through the hall, seeming to come from everywhere at once. It was an inhuman sound, terrible and frightening. Hope shivered.

What he saw was even worse. Three creatures were approaching a set of energy barriers at the end of the northern path. They were humanoid in shape, but that was as far as the similarities went. Their bodies were black, their flesh wasted and stretched tight over elongated, jutting bones. On each of them one leg had grown longer than the other, causing them to limp as they moved, though they did not seem to notice. Their torsos appeared to have been ripped open to expose their ribcages. In place of hearts there were glowing red crystals, beating in gentle pulses of light. Their faces looked as though they had been ripped off their bodies. There were no eyes, no nose and no mouths—at least none that were visible. Hope figured they moved through sense alone.

The creatures reached the barriers. Instead of stopping, they kept on moving forward. When they came into contact with the barrier it flashed, and they passed right through. Hope started to step back when Vanille gasped and pointed again—this time to the left. More of the creatures were passing through another barrier. More followed from the right-side path as well. There were seven in total, and all were approaching the central platform.

"What are they?" asked Hope.

"Cie'th!" Vanille explained. She reached for her staff. "L'Cie who failed! This is what happens—when l'Cie don't complete the Focus the fal'Cie gave them."

The Cie'th—known as Ghouls—ambled up the stairs and spread out around the pair. Hope stepped back until he bumped into Vanille, who was also backing up. He looked to the path they had come by, but it was already blocked by Cie'th.

They were trapped.

A yell sounded behind the Cie'th. Hope and Vanille both turned in surprise as Snow came barrelling up behind the Cie'th. He threw himself against the first one, knocking it off-balance and forcing his way through to the centre. He stood in front of Vanille and Hope, spreading his arms wide to shield them.

"Let's even these odds!"

Vanille drew her staff. Hope hesitated before pulling out his boomerang and flicking it open. He looked at it and then up at Snow, his eyes narrowing.

_It's him…_

The other Ghoul had recovered now and re-joined its companions. Yet it did not stay up for long as Snow darted forward and threw himself against it again. Despite its ferocious appearance the Ghoul went down easily, and a few short whacks were all that was needed to make sure it stayed down.

Swinging her staff, Vanille sent the cables flying through the air. They latched onto two Ghouls at once. With one sharp yank she dragged them to the ground, where Snow finished them both off with his powerful fists.

Still hesitant about fighting, Hope backed away from the Cie'th. One Ghoul walked up behind him and roared. Hope spun around and gasped in horror at the sight of its ghastly face looming over him. Even without eyes the monster seemed to peer straight through him, as though it could see his soul within his body. Even without words, Hope felt the loathing and hunger emanating from its body. It hated him, and it hungered for his soul.

The Ghoul raised its arms. Each one ended in an oversized hand with six-inch nails ready to tear his skin open. In a panic Hope flung his boomerang. It struck the monster on the shoulder and bounced off. The Ghoul shook its head, its neck cracking, and continued to advance.

Hope backed up. Remembering the boomerang's radio-control, he activated it and guided the weapon back towards himself and the Ghoul. It struck the Cie'th at the base of the neck. There was a ripping sound, and a second later its head dropped onto the floor.

"Wha—!?" Hope cried. Nausea overwhelmed him and he fell to the ground, fighting to keep from vomiting.

A pair of hands grabbed his shoulders. Hope struggled and fought, but Snow kept hold of him and turned him around.

"Keep your head, kid!" the fighter said. He picked up the boy's boomerang and placed it in Hope's hand. He looked down at the headless Ghoul, which collapsed next to its head. "Pretty lethal, that toy of yours," he remarked, and then turned away to face another enemy.

Hope stared after him, his face a mixture of anger and fear. Pain shot through his hand, and he realised that he was squeezing the boomerang blade. His eyes bored into Snow's back as he fought against the Cie'th. Hope raised the boomerang, his eyes still on Snow. Then he turned away and hurled it at another Ghoul.

There were only three Ghouls remaining. Snow ducked as one Cie'th attacked him with its long claws. The claws snagged his trench coat and brushed his skin. A superficial wound, Snow thought. The monster tried to reach for him again but this time he was ready. Dodging to the side, Snow stuck out his foot and tripped it. When the monster staggered, he elbowed it in the back and shoved it over the rail.

Vanille's staff whirred as the cables flicked through the air. Wrapping around the torso of the Ghoul in front of her, she tugged it until the beast fell to its knees. It roared, straining against the bonds. At a nod from her, Snow ran in front and punched his fist at the crystal in its chest, which he guessed to be its heart. His guess proved right, for as the crystal smashed the monster groaned and dropped to the ground.

Now only Hope's opponent remained. Using his boomerang, Hope sent the weapon flying around it in wide arcs. The blade cut into the rotted flesh, slicing deep wounds, but did not seem to stop it. The Ghoul continued to advance on him, as though it did not even notice the damage. Even when Hope used the boomerang to slice off its arm, it kept on coming.

His back hit a wall. Hope looked behind him and gasped when he saw the rail. He was cornered. Turning back he directed the boomerang back towards the Ghoul, trying to repeat his previous attack by slicing off its head. But the Ghoul had learnt, it seemed, and ducked beneath the blow. His courage failing, Hope began to tremble. He closed his eyes, waiting for death.

Cables whirred in the air. They wrapped around the Ghoul and snapped tight.

"All right!" said Vanille. She reined in the cables, dragging the Ghoul away from Hope.

When it was far enough away, Snow charged in. Like he did with the other Ghoul, he smashed the crystal heart with his fist. The Ghoul stiffened and then dropped to the ground. Hope watched as the monster then began to dissolve, as though some spell had been released and allowed it to rot at last.

Letting out the breath he had been holding, Hope sank to the ground. He felt sick and faint. He closed his eyes, taking in deep breaths of air.

Snow stepped over the dissolving remains of the Cie'th and looked at Hope and Vanille. "How did you get in here?" he asked the pair. "You've gotta leave?"

Vanille looked down at Hope. The boy sat frozen on the ground, his hands clenched into tight fists. Meeting Snow's gaze, she blushed and gave a nervous laugh.

Snow shook his head and sighed. "Okay, listen," he said. "Find someplace to hide and keep quiet. Once I find Serah, we'll all leave together." He strode past Vanille, giving her a gentle pat on the shoulder. "You'll be home in time for dinner," he said.

Hope crawled around to face him. "You—" he began.

"Wait!" Vanille interrupted, cutting him off. Snow stopped and looked back at her. "Who's Serah?" she asked, hesitant.

A smile touched Snow's lips. "My wife," he said. "Future wife, that is. She's a Pulse l'Cie."

Vanille's eyes widened. "Oh no," she gasped.

"She's here somewhere," Snow continued, not hearing her. "Along with that fal'Cie. I've gotta find her and set her free."

Vanille wrung her hands together. A horrible feeling began to well in her stomach and burn inside of her. It tried to force its way through her throat, but whatever it was she held it back. Instead she closed her eyes and looked away.

"What's wrong with you?"

Vanille looked up as Hope jumped to his feet. His eyes were blazing with anger as he glared at Snow.

"Why do you want to help a l'Cie?" the boy demanded. "How can you save a l'Cie and not… And not…"

He faltered; his words died out. Vanille gazed at him in sympathy. Despite his anger, he still could not get the words out. Something continued to hold him back. The boy, realising this as well, tightened his fists and stamped his foot.

"That's insane!" he said instead.

Snow grinned and chuckled. "Probably," he admitted. "But I gotta do something, right?" He turned away and raised his hand in farewell. "I'll be back!" he promised, and then he ran off down the stairs, leaving the pair behind.

As he left, Hope sank to his knees again. His body was shaking, though whether it was because of the fight or because of Snow or even both, he could not be sure. All he knew was that he could not stop it. Succumbing to his fear, he closed his eyes and let himself shiver.

Vanille waited and watched. Her fingers twisted together, forming into knots. Then, shaking her hands free, she walked over to Hope and leant over.

"Should we wait around for him, and hitch a ride?" she asked.

"I'd rather go to Pulse!" Hope snapped, making her jump. The boy held his head in his hands, tugging at his hair. "Why is this happening to me?" he said. "When they found the fal'Cie the other day, we were just visiting Bodhum. But the army took us. Threw us on that train… And because of that guy, Mom is—"

He stopped. He couldn't bring himself to say the words.

Snow only reached the bottom of the stairs and stopped. Those two were only kids… They had fought well; the red-haired girl in particular showed excellent skill. But they were still just kids. "Probably shouldn't leave them alone," he said, and he looked back.

Hope, meanwhile, was beginning to sob. "And he wants to help a l'Cie?" he was saying.

Vanille started to reach out to him but stopped as Snow came running back up the stairs. He waved at her.

"Hey again," he greeted.

"Hey," she said in reply.

She looked back down at Hope. The boy had fallen silent again and was staring at the ground. Already she could see the wheels of his life beginning to slow and stop, as the pain in his heart threatened to consume him. If he did not release it soon, it would be too late. Kneeling down, she took both of his hands in hers, clasping them tight.

"Let's go with him," she said.

Hope's eyes snapped up. "What?" he asked.

"You've gotta talk to him, Hope. If you don't take this chance,"—she squeezed his hands—"you'll regret it forever."

Hope looked at her, incredulous. He then looked over at Snow, standing there as he waited for the pair to make up their minds. He knew Vanille was right. If he let Snow get away now, then he would regret it. Even though he could not say anything now, he would be able to one day. As long as he stayed close to Snow, he would get the chance eventually.

"Okay," he said.

"Okay," said Vanille as well, and she pulled him to his feet.

Snow raised his hand. "Let's go!" he called to them, and then ran back down the stairs.

Vanille hurried after him. Hope, meanwhile, remained where he was. His eyes followed Snow, burning his image into his mind.

_One day,_ he thought, and then he ran to catch up with them.


	11. Part 2: Chapter 3

**Final Fantasy XIII**

**Grace Barton**

**Chapter Three**

Pulse l'Cie. Cursed beings that once were human, now doomed to a life of servitude to the Pulse fal'Cie that created them. They were gifted with the ability to wield supernatural powers—magic—and summon great and terrible beings to fight by their side in battle. Pulse l'Cie were objects of fear for the people of Cocoon. Even the very thought that one might exist was enough to send waves of panic rippling throughout Cocoon.

It was this fear that had ultimately led to the Purge. Fear of the Pulse fal'Cie was not enough; it was also the fear that a Pulse l'Cie could be hiding within the town that drove the Sanctum to make the decision to purge every last civilian from the town, whether they resided there or not. It did not matter whether the l'Cie was willing servant or not. As long as there was the potential for a Pulse l'Cie to exist, Cocoon would not be safe.

All of this was on Lightning's mind as she walked through the upper levels of the Vestige's Ambulatory. Any time she encountered an enemy she defeated them easily, and yet for the past few fights she was hesitant. This was not noticeable to the untrained eye but Sazh, who had been with her for a short while now and was brighter than she gave him credit for, had started to pick up on it.

"What's gotten into you, Soldier?" he asked, walking behind her. "I thought you came for a fight."

Lightning slowed and stopped. She looked back at Sazh as she took him in, wondering whether to share her secret with him. Finally she made up her mind and sighed, lowering her head.

"My sister…" she murmured.

"Your sister?"

Lightning took a deep breath. "She's a l'Cie," she confessed.

"What?" Sazh blinked, thinking he must have heard wrong. "A _Pulse_ l'Cie?"

She nodded and clenched her hands. "The fal'Cie has her captive," she said. "But I'll find her."

"Is she still…?" Sazh began to ask, but the soldier was already walking. Sazh ran after her and placed himself in front, keeping her from walking further. "What was her Focus?" he demanded. "When she became a l'Cie, what did the fal'Cie order her to do? It wasn't 'blow up Cocoon' or anything like that, was it?"

Lightning hesitated and closed her eyes. "I didn't ask," she said. For a moment her stoic mask slipped to reveal the pain she had been hiding all this time. Her hands clenched tighter until her nails dug into her palms.

A hum echoed throughout the hall. Sazh and Lightning looked around. Their gazes fell on a door at the top of a set of stairs next to them. A Pulse brand began to glow on it and then disappeared, along with the door itself. From inside the doorway a pair of Ghouls emerged and began to amble down the stairs.

Recognising the Cie'th for what they were, Sazh grimaced and looked back at Lightning. The soldier had turned her own head away, unable to look at them.

"Listen to me," he said in a quiet voice. "When a person gets cursed by a fal'Cie, they become a l'Cie. Then they get given a Focus, right?" He paused. "How do I put this? If they don't carry it out, l'Cie end up as one of those things."

Lightning raised her head and looked at the Cie'th. They had paused at the top of the stairs. She saw their misshapen bodies with their distorted limbs, and faces that once were human but now had been taken away. The crystals in their torsos beat in slow rhythms, just as their human hearts once did. But there was nothing left of them that was human; not even memories. Then she thought of her sister. If Serah did not complete her Focus, this was the fate that awaited her.

Sazh looked at Lightning closely. "What I'm saying is, if your sister's gone that far…" He paused as Lightning turned her head away. "I mean—! She might still—! How can I—?" He shook his head and sighed. "Oh, man. There's no way to turn a l'Cie back into a human. Even if she completes her Focus, there's no changing her fate. She'll live her life as a fal'Cie slave." He turned to Lightning, his gaze stern. "Don't make her suffer," he said.

Spinning around, Lightning shoved him back. The pilot staggered, almost thrown onto the floor.

"Just say it!" Lightning snapped. Her blue eyes were blazing. "Any l'Cie… Anyone who might ever become a l'Cie should be wiped off the face of Cocoon."

Sazh opened his mouth to speak, but then closed again. Lightning relaxed her shoulders, letting out her breath in a low hiss. She strode past Sazh and then paused, glancing at his back.

"It's people like you," she said, "that started the Purge in the first place."

With that, she walked away. Sazh looked at the ground. For a moment his own mask slipped away, revealing an inner pain of his own. He felt his guns in their holsters. His fingers slipped around them, grasping them tight. He closed his eyes and swallowed, burying the feelings. Then he turned and went after Lightning.

Ignoring the two Cie'th on the stairs, Lightning carried on down the path. There was another set of stairs ahead, guarded by another pair of Ghouls. Drawing her gunblade, she held it out and took aim.

But she did not fire right away. She looked at the Cie'th, taking them in. Their faces held no semblance to human faces, but she tried to imagine the human who once owned that face. Did that person have hopes and dreams? Looking closer, she saw what appeared to be handprints across their heads. Was that the mark left behind as they desperately clung to their humanity before it was stripped from them? How did it feel to become a Cie'th?

Could she kill Serah, if that was the only option? Could she kill her own sister?

Instead of contemplating the answer, Lightning pulled the trigger and smashed the crystal heart of one of the Cie'th. Its body stiffened and then dropped to the floor. A brief wave of light passed over it, and then the monster began to dissolve. The other Cie'th turned at the death of its companion, but before it could make a move another shot flew past Lightning and struck the same mark. Lightning looked over her shoulder to find Sazh standing behind her. She narrowed her eyes.

"I'm still coming with you," the pilot said in reply to her unspoken question. He gestured with his guns. "Lead the way, Soldier."

"Huh," replied Lightning. "Better keep up then." She slipped her gunblade into the sheath and then walked on.

Sazh ran to catch up with her. He stepped over the remains of the Cie'th. His boot caught the edge of the pile, and they crunched beneath the sole. Confused, the pilot stopped and looked down. The remains glittered in the eerie light. _Are they… crystals? _He frowned. Were Cie'th bodies made up of crystals instead of flesh? A shudder ran through his body. "So, that's a Cie'th, huh?" he whispered to himself. "Some innocent kid gets picked as a l'Cie one day, and winds up one of those."

He shook his head. It was so unfair. Children should never have to become l'Cie. But that was the way life was. It was not fair and never tried to be. A moment of pure happiness could be marred in an instant by tragedy.

As though responding to his thoughts, the chocobo chick gave a chirrup and tapped his head with its beak. Sazh held out his hands as the little creature flew out and landed in his palms.

"Yeah, I know," he said to the chick. "Gotta remain positive, right?"

The chick chirped in reply and fluttered its wings.

From in front, Lightning raised her hand and said: "Heads up."

Putting the chick back in his hair, Sazh hurried over to join her. He saw the reason for her warning. More Ghouls lined the path ahead, blocking their way. Luckily the creatures had their backs to the pair and had not noticed their approach, but it was only a matter of time before they did.

As he looked at the Ghouls, a horrible thought struck him. "I wonder if those were the soldiers who came in to search the place," he wondered.

Lightning nodded her head in acknowledgement. She had been thinking the same thing. The PSICOM squads who had entered and then disappeared… she had wondered what had become of them. Now she knew. The soldiers had found the fal'Cie and paid for their discovery with their freedom.

Her hand closed around her gunblade. Once she would have had sympathy for them, but no more. The soldiers knew the risks they took when they entered the Vestige. They were soldiers no more, just more targets waiting to be struck down.

They encountered even more Cie'th as they made their way through the halls. It seemed as though more and more awaited them with every turn they took. Sazh's breath was laboured from the constant running and fights. His pistols were powered by manadrive technology and therefore were not inexhaustible; he wondered just how much more they could take.

Even Lightning was beginning to show some signs of strain. Sweat beaded her forehead, and her breathing was becoming shallow. Yet she did not slow her pace, not even for a moment. Serah's image was always at the front of her mind, pushing her onward. No matter what, she wound find her and take her home.

After fighting their way through a group of Cie'th, the pair ascended a set of stairs to the upper levels of the Ambulatory. There they encountered a different kind of Cie'th, known as a Ghast. It got its name for its scream, for it was such a hallowed and ghastly scream that it did sound like it had come from a spectre. Unlike the Ghouls, Ghasts were larger and more difficult to beat. Their bodies were bulkier from the torso up, and they staggered as though struggling to keep their bodies upright. Their left arms were thicker than their right, and in place of claws they had thick, crystallised stumps. The only similarities to their Ghoul counterparts were the red crystals beating in the middle of their chests. All Lightning saw, however, was another target, and she took them down with the same ruthless tenacity as she had done all the others.

Climbing the last of the stairs, the pair arrived at the start of a long path. There was a single door at the other end, waiting for them.

"We must be in pretty deep now," Sazh said to Lightning. He panned his gaze around the Vestige, taking it all in. "My nerves are gonna kill me," he said. From somewhere above them the scream of another Ghost echoed down to them. "If something else doesn't beat 'em to it," he added with a shiver.

Lightning made no comment, but her shoulders tensed. She would never admit it, but even she felt chilled by this place. Sazh kept on speaking only because he felt he had to, lest he be overwhelmed by the fear he felt deep inside. But she was a soldier. Her training had taught her how to deal with unknowns, and to control her emotions in the face of the enemy.

Straightening her shoulders, Lightning closed her eyes. She focused on her breathing, taking in slow, deep breaths, holding them for a second or two and then letting them out just as slowly. With each exhalation, she forced her muscles to relax. Her heartbeat slowed down to its normal rate.

With her emotions now under control, Lightning opened her eyes and continued forward to the door. It opened automatically as she approached so she walked straight through into the nave of the Vestige.

It was no surprise that the first thing they saw as they entered the nave were the Cie'th. Numerous Ghouls and Ghosts walked the paths, bumping into each other as they moved aimlessly through the hall. Lightning cast her eyes over them, making a quick count. There were many, too many for her and Sazh to take on all at once.

She drew her gunblade and held it ready. "Break through the lines," she said to Sazh. "Kill only those that stand in the way."

"Hah, funny," the pilot replied. "Now tell me your real plan—hey, wait!"

But Lightning was already on the move. She charged headfirst into the groups of Cie'th. Her sword flashed through the air as she sliced through them. As per her own instructions, she did not hang around to take them down. Once a path opened up she broke through, leaving the enemy behind her. When she ran into the next group she did the same, striking and moving on without looking behind her.

Sazh blinked. He fumbled for his guns and then, with a cry that sounded crazy even to him, he ran after her. His guns blazed as he fired round after around at the enemy Cie'th. Lightning's initial attacks had turned their attention to her, so their backs were already turned by the time he struck. A few Ghouls fell but the Ghasts endured, chasing after him when he passed them by. Sazh looked back over his shoulder. The Ghasts were faster than he gave them credit for, and they were catching up to him.

He turned his eyes back front and jumped as he saw the path suddenly come to an end. A few feet off the path's end there was a floating platform and it was here where Lightning was waiting.

"Jump!" the soldier ordered.

Remembering the other time she had given that order, the pilot obeyed at once and jumped off the edge of the path. He landed on the platform beside her, and she grabbed his arm to prevent him from falling. Almost at once the platform began to rise. It lifted them away from the path and away from the Cie'th. Enraged, the Ghasts screamed their horrifying cry. The sound followed them up as they rose away from the Nave, rising higher and higher into the Vestige.

Sazh sank to his knees. "Phew," he panted. "That was a close one."

He got no answer from the soldier. Looking up, he saw that her gaze was turned upward. There was a path directly above them, and it was to here that the platform was heading. Grunting, Sazh pushed himself to his feet again and stood beside her.

The platform settled next to the path and they stepped off. A set of stairs rose before them, leading to a large circular doorway at the very end. Marking that as her next goal, Lightning began to ascend the stairs. Sazh followed her, his gaze thoughtful.

They had just reached the first break in the stairs when Lightning suddenly came to a stop. Her breath caught in her throat. Her legs buckled, and she almost fell.

There was a girl lying in the middle of the floor. She appeared to be unconscious, for her eyes were closed and she did not move. At first Lightning feared she was dead, until she saw the girl's chest rise and fall with gentle breathing. Her long, pink-blonde hair was pulled into a loose ponytail at the side of her head and draped over her shoulder.

Seeing her, Sazh's eyes widened. The hair was the same shade as Lightning's.

"Serah!" cried Lightning.

She ran to her sister's side and lifted her into her arms. At eighteen, only three years separated the two sisters and they were almost identical in every way, except for their faces. Lightning's was stern from years of battle-training, while Serah's was smooth and innocent. However that innocence was now marred with pain and worry. Her face was pale, and her skin was cold to the touch. With guilt filling her heart, Lightning pulled Serah close and lifted her up.

"Time to go," she said, her voice filled with urgency. "We have to leave before the army—"

She turned and then stopped. Sazh was standing behind her, blocking her path.

"What?" she asked him.

Sazh looked at her. Then his eyes drifted down, towards the girl in her arms. But he was not looking at her face. His gaze was on her arm. On the girl's left arm was a brand. It was the same brand they had seen blocking the entrance to the Vestige, and that had flashed up on every door they had come across. Several arrows pierced the brand, and in the centre there was a red eye.

"That's a Pulse brand," the pilot said in a low voice. "That girl's a l'Cie."

"I already told you that," Lightning snapped.

"Pulse l'Cie are the enemies of Cocoon," he replied. His hands moved towards his pistols, his eyes never once leaving Serah. He drew the pistols, his fingers resting on the triggers.

Catching the movement, Lightning's eyes narrowed. "So they should die?" she demanded.

"Listen," said Sazh, "if she fails her Focus, you know how that'll end."

"And killing her is a mercy?" the soldier asked, her voice rising.

She opened her mouth to say more but stopped when a hand touched her cheek. Gasping, Lightning looked down at the girl in her arms. Serah's eyes were open, staring up at Lightning through dreamy eyes.

"You came…" the girl whispered, her voice weak.

Her throat tightening, Lightning knelt and placed Serah on the ground. Serah moaned and her head rolled against her older sister's arm. Lightning held her up, supporting her. She started to speak again when another voice, a man's, cut over her.

"Serah!"

Lightning looked up. Her face transformed into a scowl as she saw a man standing on a platform that was descending to their level. Two teenagers, a boy and a girl, stood behind him, but Lightning ignored them. Her eyes remained fixed on the man in front. _Snow… You…_

Snow jumped off the platform before it could reach the ground and ran over to Serah. Grasping her hand, he held it tight.

"Serah," he whispered, overcome with relief.

A smile touched Serah's lips as she looked up at him. "Is that… my hero?" she asked. Her gaze was distant, as though not fully awake.

Snow nodded. Squeezing her hand, he pressed it against his forehead. Her touch was cold.

Stepping off the platform behind Hope, Vanille stretched and peered over his shoulder. He saw Snow kneeling beside a stern-faced young woman with pink-coloured hair. She did not seem happy to see Snow, glaring at him with such ferocity Vanille had only seen once before: in the eyes of Hope.

Lying in the arms of the pink-haired woman was a girl, dressed in a plain white shirt and a plaited skirt. Vanille stretched further until she could see the girl's face. When she did, she gasped and covered her mouth.

Snow was stroking Serah's face. "Let's get you out of here," he told her.

"Hands off," Lightning snapped back, her eyes narrowed. "I'm taking her home."

"Sis," Snow said. "I—"

"I'm not your sister!" she shouted, taking everyone by surprise. "You couldn't protect her. It's your fault she—"

"You can save us."

Lightning stopped and stared down at Serah. The girl's eyes were unfocused, but she gazed up at Lightning and Snow in earnest and hope.

"Protect us all," she said. Her face turned paler and her voice began to grow faint. Her eyelids fluttered. "Save… …Cocoon," she whispered, and then closed her eyes.

"Save Cocoon?" Lightning repeated as Serah's head rolled back. "Serah? That was your Focus?"

But Serah could not reply. She slumped into Lightning's arms, unable to say anymore.

Snow squeezed her hand. "Anything," he promised. "I'll do anything. Leave it to me—you'll see. I'll protect Cocoon. I'll save everyone!"

"Somehow, I'll make things right," said Lightning.

"You just relax," Snow told her.

Serah's eyes opened again. She looked from Lightning to Snow, and then to Sazh and the two kids behind him. After taking them in she looked up at her sister and her fiancé, and she smiled once more.

"Thank you," she said softly, and her eyes closed again.

A blue light shone around her. Lightning gasped as it spread across her skin, covering her from head to foot. Serah let out a sighing breath as her body began to rise.

"Serah!" cried Lightning.

The girl rose out of her arms and ascended to the air. Snow stood, still holding her hand, but when she rose out of reach her fingers slipped from his grasp. Still Serah rose up, carried up by the light that emanated from within her.

Suddenly the glow turned inwards, sinking into her skin. Crystals began to spread on her skin. Her hands and arms changed first, transforming from skin into flawless, shimmering crystal.

Snow and Lightning gasped.

The crystals continued to spread over her body, covering her torso, legs and even her face. The light shone brightest behind her as the crystals thickened and grew around her, creating a crystal bed.

With the last of her strength, Serah lifted her arms towards her face. Her eyelids glistened and a single tear managed to squeeze free. It rolled down her face and then fell from her cheek. Yet not even the tear was spared the transformation. Shining with the same bright light as Serah the tear shone and hardened, becoming crystal.

Snow held out his hand. He caught the tear in his palm. The crystal around it thickened and changed to a deep blue hue, growing to an inch in length before finally finishing. Closing his fingers around the crystal tear, Snow looked up at Serah.

The transformation was almost complete. Like the tear, the crystal surrounding Serah hardened, becoming an impenetrable shell. Snow jumped up, reaching for her.

"Serah!" he shouted. "Serah!"

But Serah could no longer hear him. The crystal continued to harden. A gentle glow shone through it as her flesh disappeared, replaced only with a layer of crystal.

Lightning's eyes had remained on Serah throughout her transformation. Her hand, still outstretched, fell to her side. The soldier's eyes filled with tears, and her face twisted in pain and grief. She lowered her eyes. She had failed.

Vanille had also watched Serah's transformation. "Why is she turning into crystal?" she asked.

Hope answered for her. "L'Cie who fulfil their Focus are transformed into crystal and gain eternal life."

"Just like the stories say," murmured Sazh.

The light surrounding Serah faded. Her body lowered to the ground, landing between Lightning and Snow. The soldier remained motionless, but Snow stepped forward and looked down at his fiancé. Her body was curled against the bed of crystal, her hands cupped around her face as she had tried to stop her last tears. Her face was smooth as marble, free of pain and worry. She really did look like she was asleep. Snow laid his hand against her cheek, stroking the cool crystal.

"Serah… Sweet dreams," he whispered.

"Sweet dreams?"

Lightning shoved past Sazh and stormed up to him. Grabbing the fighter by his collar, she yanked him towards her so that they were face to face.

"She's not sleeping!" the soldier cried. "Serah's… She's—"

Her eyes flicked over to Serah. Seeing her in the crystal, her heart wrenched in pain. Unable to bring herself to say the words, she shoved Snow back and turned away from him. Snow looked at her and then over at Serah, Lightning's little sister. His gaze hardened, and he turned back.

"She's alive!" he told her.

Lightning turned around. "No," she said.

"The legend! Remember the legend!" Snow walked up to her. "L'Cie who fulfil their Focus turn to crystal and gain eternal life. It's the same with Serah! Eternal life! She's not dead!"

He looked over at Sazh, looking for his support. But the pilot closed his eyes and looked away. Opening his hand, Snow looked down at the crystal tear in his hand.

"Serah's my bride-to-be," he said. "I promised to be hers forever! I don't care how many years I have to wait—"

Before he could finish, Lightning stepped forward and punched him in the jaw. Her blow sent the fighter sprawling to the ground.

"It's over!" she shouted at him. "Open your eyes and face reality!"

Snow did not answer her. He lay on his back, his eyes fixed on the ceiling. His hand tightened around the crystal tear, its points digging into his palm. Lightning, however, let out a hissing breath and turned away.

Vanille watched them both, her heart aching. She wrung her hands together. She looked over at Sazh and then at Hope. Finally she looked at Serah. The girl's crystal face was smooth, unable to hear the words that went on around her. In the crystal surface of her body, Vanille saw her own reflection.

* * *

_Serah… Does becoming a l'Cie really mean losing everything?_


	12. Part 2: Chapter 4

**Final Fantasy XIII**

**Grace Barton**

**Chapter Four**

An awkward silence followed Lightning's emotional outburst. Snow remained lying on the ground. His eyes were fixed on the domed ceiling above. A faint glow made him turn his head. Serah's crystal stood beside him, emitting a faint aura of light. Within that crystal he saw his beloved Serah sleeping and he knew beyond all doubt that she would wake up again one day.

As for Lightning, she believed otherwise. When she looked at the crystal she did not see the sleeping form of her sister, but rather her corpse. For Lightning, whether it was crystal sleep or transformed into a Cie'th, they both meant the same thing. Serah was gone. She had failed her mission, and failed her sister. Unable to look at anyone lest they see her grief, the soldier turned away.

Sazh watched the soldier's turmoil, his lips moving as though he wanted to speak but was thinking better of it. Hope's eyes were on Snow; his gaze a mixture of bewilderment and anger. Vanille meanwhile looked uneasy, her hands wringing at the fabric of her skirt.

At the centre of them all, Serah was silent in her crystal stasis, unaware of the pain and suffering that was going on around her.

Just when the silence was becoming unbearable, a loud boom rocked the Vestige. The walls and floor began to shake, taking everyone by surprise. Sazh staggered and flailed his arms, trying to keep his balance.

"Oh! Wait!" he cried.

Vanille looked around her in alarm. "What now?" she exclaimed. Behind her, Hope dropped to his knees and curled up into a ball, his hands clamped over his ears to blot out the awful sound.

No one answered right away. They looked around at the Vestige. Then Sazh's eyes opened wide as the answer came to him. "The army!" he shouted.

* * *

On the pathways of the Hanging Edge, a PSICOM captain stood looking up at the Pulse Vestige. The giant structure stood tall and silent, its presence casting a dark pall over its already dark surroundings. The airship that was carrying the Vestige was on the move again, lifting it across the chasm to its destination.

Watching the structure as it passed by, the captain's lip curled in disgust. Inside the Vestige was a Pulse fal'Cie. It had not made any moves against them. This angered the captain. Did the fal'Cie not think they were capable of destroying it? Well, it would soon see the error in that thought!

In truth, he did not know why the Sanctum had kept a relic from Pulse on Cocoon in the first place. He, like many others, felt that anything from Pulse should be wiped from Cocoon. That was the way it was, and the way it would always be.

At long last the airship stopped. The Vestige now dangled over a deep chasm that led straight into Lake Bresha, another forgotten portion of Cocoon. All that was needed now was to destroy the Vestige and its fal'Cie, and cast its remains out of Cocoon.

"The target is almost in place," he reported into his communicator, though his eyes never left the Vestige. "Surface team, what's your status?"

"Good to go," was the reply. "Resistance is under control. The assault proceeds as planned."

The captain gave a nod. He paused, and then added: "Leave no trace. The Pulse Vestige never existed." He shut off his communicator and then settled to watch the destruction unfold.

Behind the captain, a group of soldiers hurried to get into position. Several gathered around strangely-shaped cannons with two long barrels. Others gathered around a spotlight and turned it towards the Vestige. More lights appeared on the surrounding paths. They fell on the Vestige, lighting it up like a glowing beacon.

A soldier turned to the captain. The PSICOM commander gave a brief nod. The soldier grinned and raised his hand.

"Fire!" he ordered.

At his command, the cannons opened fire. Instead of projectiles, long metal cables fired out towards the Vestige. They whipped through the air and struck the Vestige in the left-hand side. Striking with such force they went right through the metal and came out the other side. Another two cables, fired from a cannon on another path, struck the Vestige on its right-hand side.

More cables followed. Each hit their mark, impaling the Vestige from all sides. Smoke billowed around the Vestige, and chunks of debris began to fall down into the chasm below.

From his vantage point, the PSICOM captain smiled. Everything was going as planned.

* * *

When the cables came flying through the Vestige walls it took everyone by surprise. They threw themselves onto the ground, shielding their heads as debris began to fall down around them. Hope huddled as close to the ground as he could, his hands still clamped over his ears.

When the attack started, Lightning instinctively threw herself over Serah. Even though her sister was only a crystal now, she could not bring herself to let her come to harm. A shadow then fell over her and she glanced up to find Snow leaning over. Using his own body, he attempted to shield both her and Serah. The soldier glared but said nothing. Instead she looked down at her sister's body. The crystal had captured Serah's likeness perfectly, but that was all it was: crystal. Skin that was once warm and full of life was now cold… and dead.

Somehow Vanille managed to remain on her feet when the army attacked the Vestige. Her eyes were wide as she looked around her, her horror rising as the cables pierced the upper parts of the hall.

"What's happening?" she cried.

Beside her, Sazh wobbled as he tried to remain on his feet. "Must be a Sanctum strike," he said. "Bring down the Vestige and the fal'Cie right with it!"

Vanille's eyes widened further. Running over to the pilot, she grabbed his hands. "Aren't they taking it back to Pulse?" she asked, panicked. "That's what the Purge was, right?"

Sazh did not look at her. "All they care about is getting everything from Pulse off Cocoon! Dead or alive, it's all the same."

The colour drained from Vanille's face. Her hands slipped from Sazh's. She stepped back, but she could not feel the floor. It was as though the world had pulled away beneath her, leaving her in a dark and empty void. She felt distant and detached. _They truly mean to kill us…_ she realised.

She was brought back to reality when a hand grabbed hold of hers. The girl looked down at Hope as he clutched at her. His hands trembled, his face pale with fright.

"We can't stay here!" the boy wailed. "They'll kill us!"

Vanille stared down at him in sympathy, understanding his fear. She also felt guilty, for if she had not insisted that he follow Snow into the Vestige, he would not even be here. But would he have fared any better if he had not come here? If what the pilot said was true, then it would not have mattered. The army would have killed him simply for being near something from Pulse. The girl's face grew sad, and she looked at the ground.

After the initial strike, the army stopped their attack. The Vestige gradually stopped shaking and returned to its usual stillness. Snow sat up, along with Lightning. Dust fell from his clothing and marred the soldier's cloak and armour. Snow started to reach out and brush it off, but he thought better of it.

Before he could say anything to Lightning, a red light began to glow ahead. Looking up the stairs he saw a Pulse brand shining over a closed door. Yet even as he watched the brand glowed brighter and then vanished. The door slid open, revealing a dark corridor. Snow's lips pressed together. He turned to Serah's crystal and, very gently, clasped her hand.

"I'll be right back," he said to her. "Hold on." Then he rose to his feet and headed towards the stairs.

"Trench coat," Sazh called. "Where you going?"

Snow stopped. He looked back. "Date with the fal'Cie," he replied. "Got some things to talk about." He began to walk again.

"What?" repeated Sazh, blinking. "You're gonna ask _it_ to help her?" He shook his head. "Are you out of your mind, kid? That thing wants to chew us up and spit us out!"

Snow spun around. "Well, what do you want me to do?" he demanded.

Sazh tried to answer, but he could not say anything. He then looked up in surprise as Lightning, who had remained silent, got to her feet and strode past Snow. Without giving anyone a moment's glance, she made her way up the steps.

"Lightning?" said Snow in amazement. Then he grinned and followed her up.

Sazh sighed. "Here we go," he said to himself, and set off after them.

Vanille watched as the pilot trudged up the stairs after the pair. Behind her, Hope was on his feet again but still clung to his arm, unable to look up. Looking from him to the stairs, Vanille felt torn over what she should do. Should she go after them? Or should she run away? Her hands continued to wring the folds of her skirt as she was torn by indecision.

Then, conscious of her will or not, her feet began to move. She took small steps at first, in case her courage failed her. When it didn't she took larger ones. Hope moved with her, staying close by her side. Indecision gnawed at her. She swallowed, burying it down as far as it would go, and then kept on moving forward.

And so, with Hope trailing behind her, Vanille ascended the stairs.

* * *

In the throne room of the fal'Cie, all was dark and silent. Despite the name, there was no throne here. The fal'Cie were large, godlike and completely inhuman. They had no need for thrones. Their very presence commanded all the awe and respect that was needed. Seemingly immortal and all-powerful, no one had ever dared to stand against them directly. Until now, that is.

Lightning led the way into the throne room. Her booted feet echoed as she walked down the corridor adjoining to it. The echoes of everyone else's footsteps mingled with hers, disjointed and uncoordinated, with everyone walking their own fearful pace.

Hope had managed to let go of Vanille now and was walking on his own. His eyes wandered the corridor walls. Strange mechanisms were built into the wall, apparently inactive, their purpose unknown.

But the machines were not what had caught Hope's attention. Floating shards of crystal filled the corridor. They appeared from nowhere and simply flickered into being before just as simply flickering out again. Awed, Hope reached out and tried to catch one. The shard pulled away as his hand neared it. Even those that floated around him seemed to swerve out of his way, as though repelled by his presence. It reminded Hope of magnets, and how those with the same polarities repelled each other.

However he forgot all of this as the corridor came to an end. His eyes turned forward and fell on the room beyond.

"So this is… the fal'Cie?" he said, his voice barely a whisper. He stopped at the entrance, afraid to go any farther.

They had entered a large, open hall. It was empty except for a large domelike structure at the far end. Encased in thick plates of metal, it looked to be impenetrable. Panes of glass were built into the floor, but it was too dark to see what was beneath them. Several blank screens were positioned around the dome and the walls. There were two holes in the floor on either side of the dome, but no one dared to look at what was inside. A nameplate was placed over the dome, but no one could read the strange, Pulsian writing.

Unlike Hope, Snow was not afraid to approach the fal'Cie. He stood before it and gazed up in earnest.

"Serah's a crystal now," he said in a loud voice. "You gave her a Focus, and she did it! You got what you want! Now let her go!"

An eerie stillness filled the room as the fal'Cie remained silent, giving no signs that it had even heard him.

Snow dropped to his knees. "Please," he begged. "Turn her back!" When he got no reply his face twisted in pain and he sat up, his hand over his heart. "I'll be your l'Cie instead!" he vowed.

Still the fal'Cie was silent. Lightning's lip curled in disgust as she sighed. "Fine," she snapped. "You go on begging."

Drawing her sword, she approached the fal'Cie.

"Like this thing gives a damn what we want!" she cried, and she struck the fal'Cie with her gunblade. The blade clanged off the metal, leaving only a scratch.

But Lightning, overcome by her anger and her grief, did not notice. Yelling in rage, she struck at the fal'Cie again and again. On the third blow the sword bounced off, jarring her shoulder and making her stagger.

"Lightning!" said Snow.

The soldier recovered. Panting hard, she clasped her sword in both hands. "It's this thing's fault the Purge started," she said, "and it's people who are dying." She looked over her shoulder at Snow. "Serah told us to save Cocoon. That means this thing needs to die!"

As though responding to her words, the fal'Cie shuddered and spurred into life. Snow jumped to his feet as an orange light began to burn from below, shining through the glass panels.

There was a whoosh as steam shot up from the two holes in the floor, covering the chamber in a thin mist. The dome split down the middle and then opened. A white light shone out from within, piercing through the mist. The floor began to rumble and then two churning columns rose up from the holes on either side of the fal'Cie. Not connected to anything, they hung in the air by some unknown force. Yet before anyone could marvel at this, the light in the dome suddenly intensified, filling the room with a blinding light that made everyone cry out in pain.

"I can't see!" shouted Hope.

From within the light, a being arose. He could only be called a 'being', for he was neither human nor machine, but perhaps a combination of the two. This was the fal'Cie. The nameplate above identified him as the fal'Cie Anima, but the humans of Cocoon could not know his name. His body was part of the dome itself. Power flooded into him from the many pipes attached to his upper body. There was no face that they could see, just a long, flat panel with pipes attached to it. Like the Cie'th, it had a crystal at its heart. This one, however, was enormous and brimming with power so vast they could feel it pulsing throughout the room.

This was the Pulse fal'Cie.

The light faded, allowing the group to have their first real look at the fal'Cie. Sazh's eyes widened at the sight of it. "What the—" he exclaimed.

He looked over at Lightning. Her face showed no surprise or wonder at the sight of the fal'Cie. Instead her face was a mask. Raising her gunblade, she stood ready for battle.

When the fal'Cie rose up, Hope was overcome by panic. This was just what he feared would happen. Terror unlike anything he had felt so far flooded him, overcoming his reason, and he turned to flee back down the corridor. Vanille started to go after him but stopped, looking back at the fal'Cie.

Hope reached the corridor and stopped, out of breath. Hearing strange sounds around him, he looked up to find that all the mechanisms in the walls were now active. Cogs and wheels turned, levers shifted and rotated, and the wall glistened with the power that now spread through it. Hope's eyes widened as a frightening thought struck him. Was the whole building part of the fal'Cie!?

Shaking his head, Hope replaced the thought with one other: he had to escape. Talking to Snow no longer mattered. All he could think of was getting out of here. He ran for the exit.

Seeing him run, the fal'Cie lowered its body. The crystal in its torso shone bright, and a Pulse-brand barrier flashed up over the doorway. Hope slammed into it and fell onto his back. He sat up and saw the barrier in front of him, trapping him inside the throne room. He started to scrabble when calm hands touched his shoulders. Vanille knelt beside him, pulling him close.

The fal'Cie, seeing that its attackers were now captive, settled and turned its attention to the three still standing before it. Sazh glanced at the fal'Cie and then ran over to Lightning.

"Come on, now," he said to her. "You really think you can kill a fal'Cie?"

Lightning shot him an angry look. She stepped forward and raised her blade high. "I'm doing this for Serah!" she shouted.

Sazh looked over at Snow. The fighter just grinned and raised his fists. The pilot shook his head, his heart filled with pity for these poor kids. They were about to throw their lives away in a foolish attempt to avenge the girl they both shared and lost. Fal'Cie were not ordinary monsters. No normal human could ever hope to defeat them.

Then a memory surfaced in his mind, reminding him of his own reasons for being here, and why he had stuck with Lightning all this time. He looked down and closed his eyes. He saw Serah, and saw the way she had smiled sadly moments before she had turned to crystal. Then another face appeared over hers. Another smiling face, innocently naïve of the fate that awaited it.

"Dajh…" he whispered.

The fal'Cie reared up and spread his arms. The dark screens around him lit up, covered in static that soon cleared to show the image of the Pulsian brand.

Sazh's hair rustled and the chick stuck out its head. Its beady eyes glared at the fal'Cie, and it chirped in determination. Its courage emboldened Sazh, and he raised his head.

"I'm in," he announced and stepped up to stand beside Lightning and Snow. "As long as you don't mind an amateur." He drew out his guns. "I got these things. Might as well use 'em!"

A fleeting look of gratitude crossed Lightning's face. "Thanks," she said.

She turned her attention back to the fal'Cie, which was waiting for them to attack. It was this fal'Cie who had cursed her sister with the fate of a l'Cie. It was because of this fal'Cie that the Purge had started, and so many people had lost their lives. It was because of this fal'Cie that her sister was gone.

Lightning's eyes narrowed. She would make this fal'Cie pay.


	13. Part 2: Chapter 5

_**A Note from the Authoress**_

Recently, a reader (Kazlan) sent me a very lovely message, one of the best I have ever received. Without going into the details, she said I had inspired her into writing her own video game novelisation-a novelisation of _Final Fantasy X_, if you want to check it out.

With that thought in mind, I thought I would share a quote I picked up from a video by The Piano Guys. It is from their video 'Secrets', and is a quote by Ludwig van Beethoven. Although meant for music, writing is also an art, and therefore one we can all relate to. I use it as my inspiration when I play my violin, and whenever I write my stories, whether they are fanfics, or my own original works. I hope it brings some meaning to the rest of you as you write your own stories, whatever they may be.

_"Do not only practice your art, but force your way into its secret._

_For it and knowledge can raise Man to the Divine."_

**Ludwig van Beethoven**

~Grace Barton

_Further Note: Following information from a reviewer, I have amended this chapter slightly towards the end. If anyone else ever spots errors, spelling or otherwise, do let me know and I will correct them._

* * *

**Final Fantasy XIII**

**Grace Barton**

**Chapter Five**

Without another word, Lightning charged. The fal'Cie reared up to his full height. With a wave of his handless arm, he summoned one of the churning columns (which were known by the fal'Cie as its 'Manipulators') to move in front of him. The soldier skidded and raised her sword into a defensive position just as the column slammed into her. Lightning grit her teeth and shifted her weight, trying to bear the force of the attack. Sparks flew from the gunblade as the column's spinning cogs scraped over it. Feeling the weapon about to be wrenched from her hands, Lightning gave up her position and jumped clear.

Snow ran past her. Leaping into the air, he delivered a downward strike that sent the Manipulator crashing to the ground. Its spinning wheels caused it to bounce back towards the fal'Cie. Before it could land, the other Manipulator swerved in front to block the blow. Both Manipulators repelled against each other, swerving away.

"Whoa," remarked Sazh, giving the fighter an appraising look. "Some strength you got there, trench coat."

Snow grinned. "I don't wear this for nothing," he said, jerking his thumb at the emblem on the back of his coat.

Looking at the Wild Bear emblem, Sazh raised an eyebrow in understanding. _So that's where he gets his strength,_ he realised. _Guess that coat really is for more than just show._

The fal'Cie appeared impressed as well. Spreading his arm wide, he summoned both of the Manipulators to him. At his gesture, both weapons turned onto their sides. The cogs began to turn more rapidly, moving faster and faster until they began to whir. That whir became a fine whine, so loud and so high-pitched that Lightning and all the others had to cover their ears against the horrible sound.

"Here they come!" shouted Sazh.

Anima thrust out his arm, and at this the Manipulators surged forward. They moved faster now, almost too fast for the human eye to see. One pulled in front of the other and headed for Sazh and Snow, who stood together. The pilot threw himself onto the ground, while Snow dived out of the way. Sazh shut his eyes. He felt the weapon pass over him, brushing over his hair. Startled at the sudden intrusion, the chick let out a chirp of protest, while Sazh just sighed in relief.

The second Manipulator went towards Lightning. Remembering the Manipulator's strength, and not one to dive or cower like the other two had done, she planted her feet firmly on the ground and braced herself for the blow. Raising her sword into a defensive position, she took the blow full-on.

With its added speed, the attack almost knocked the soldier off her feet. Lightning felt her feet beginning to slide as the Manipulator pushed her back. The wheels continued to turn, trying to pull her weapon from her hands. Not wanting to give up her position a second time, Lightning dug her heels into the floor and leant forward. This increased the pressure on her blade, but she forced herself to hold on. Any normal blade would snap under this sort of pressure, but Lightning knew her sword could withstand it.

But she could not withstand the physical pressure. Each turn caused her body to jerk, and she knew despite her efforts she had to give in. Instead of jumping clear she shifted her grip on the gunblade. With all the strength she could muster, she pushed the sword upwards. The Manipulator moved up as well. Lightning gave one final push and hurled the Manipulator away from her. It soared into the air, spinning wild and out of control.

After missing its targets, the other Manipulator swerved around the room. Following its master's commands, it turned and headed back towards Sazh and Snow. The pilot raised his guns and fired on the Manipulator's left-hand side. The assault was enough to force the Manipulator off-course, by-passing the pair. As it went by Snow gave it a kick in the same side, and the Manipulator spun away from them. It slammed into the first Manipulator as it tried to regain control of itself. Both columns exploded, and debris rained onto the ground.

Snow threw a fist into the air. "All right!" he cheered.

Lightning did not show her enthusiasm. Facing the fal'Cie, she pointed her sword at him. "Now it's your turn!" she said.

The fal'Cie turned towards her. Even without a visible, she knew that it was unimpressed by her bold words. Deciding that she would have to use force to prove herself to the fal'Cie, Lightning raised her sword and ran straight at him.

Seeing her approach, the fal'Cie swung out his arm. Lightning saw the move and ducked, letting the arm sweep over her head. Now she was inside his guard, with nothing between her and the fal'Cie. Swinging her sword, she slashed it across the fal'Cie's lower torso. The blade scraped across the metal, leaving nothing more than a scratch. Lightning then pulled back as Anima's arm swung back towards her. The arm snagged her clock, but slipped from its grasp.

Lightning landed. She turned, spreading her feet, until she faced the fal'Cie again. Her gunblade shifted into its gun-form, and she fired several rounds up at the fal'Cie's head. The fal'Cie had anticipated her attack, however, and had already moved its arm to defend itself.

Taking up Lightning's lead, Sazh also opened fire. The scent of gunfire drifted through the air as the pair fired round after round at the fal'Cie.

With Anima's attention focused on defending himself from the onslaught, Snow saw his chance to strike. Guessing that the crystal in its torso was the source of all its power, the fighter ran up to the fal'Cie and punched it with all his might. A painful jolt shot up his arm, but the crystal did not break. Instead it shone bright, and Snow suddenly found himself thrown back across the room. He hit the ground and rolled to a stop.

"So it's like that, is it?" he grunted, getting to his feet. He rubbed his lip with the back of his hand. It came away spotted with blood where he had almost bitten through the skin.

In response Anima spread his arm. The crystal pulsed with a regular, beating rhythm. Lightning raised her sword but then paused as the ground around her began to tremble. The pieces of debris from the broken Manipulators shimmered and rose up, gathering around the fal'Cie. They moved in wide circles, separating and joining together. Some clicked into place; others twisted and bent out of shape. Slowly but surely the Manipulators reformed until they were complete once more. They hovered in front of the fal'Cie, wheels turning, functioning perfectly.

Sazh's jaw dropped. "They regenerated!?" he exclaimed. He jabbed a gun at them. "How are we supposed to beat it if it can regenerate things like that!?" he demanded of Lightning.

But the soldier was unmoved. "It doesn't matter how many times it regenerates," she said. She raised her sword. "We just keep on destroying them until it can't!"

She ran at the fal'Cie again. Snow grinned and ran after her. The pilot looked at his guns, for what they were worth. Then he sighed and lifted them up.

After all, what else could they do?

* * *

While the others were fighting for their lives against the fal'Cie, Hope and Vanille remained trapped in the darkened corridor. The sound of the battle made it impossible to hear anything else, for which they were both thankful and afraid. Being unable to hear what went on outside meant they did not know _what_ was happening. At the same time they did not want to know, they were so afraid. Was the army still attacking?

The battle raged on. Each time the Manipulators hit the walls they caused the corridor to shake. And each time Hope flinched. His hands were clamped firmly over his ears, and he was crouched down as close to the floor as he could get. No amount of words from Vanille could persuade him to move.

_It's just a dream,_ he found himself thinking. _It's all a dream. Soon I'll wake up. Mom will be there. She'll make it all right again. Mom…_

He told himself that over and over. Yet when he opened his eyes he was still in the Vestige with the strange red-haired girl, and the equally strange people who thought, of all things, that they could take on a fal'Cie. Realising that, and not wanting to believe it, he would close his eyes again and think those words once more.

Vanille stayed by Hope's side. She stroked the boy's hair, but it did not have much effect in calming him down.

She looked up at the Pulse-brand barrier that still hung over the exit. As long as that barrier remained in place, they were trapped in here.

So far, the fal'Cie had made no move to attack her and Hope. His attention was wholly focused on those it was already fighting. Unless he fell, the barrier would not fall, and they would not be able to escape.

The girl looked down at Hope again. The boy was rocking, murmuring to himself. Placing her hands on his shoulders, she leant over so that he could hear her over the noise of the battle.

"You've got to do something, Hope," she urged him.

The boy shook his head. "No," he whispered. "No…"

"Hope…"

"I can't!" the boy yelled suddenly, looking up at her. "Don't you get it? It's a fal'Cie! We can't kill a fal'Cie! It'll kill us, or make us l'Cie!"

"But they'll die if you don't help them!"

"Let them die!" he shouted back. "They're… _They're_ the ones who wanted to fight a fal'Cie. I just… I don't want…" He curled up, burying his head so she could not see the tears of fear that streamed down his face.

But Vanille had seen them. Saying no more, she continued to stroke the boy's soft hair. Hope paid no attention to her now, content to hide against the floor.

Looking up, Vanille turned her eyes to the battle. The narrow corridor offered her only a restricted view, but she could see enough to know that the others were losing. She saw the fuzzy-haired pilot fire at something to his left, out of Vanille's sight. He then dropped to the floor as one of the Manipulators flew over his head. He started to stand but dropped down again as Snow was thrown back as well. Vanille heard a yell and the clash of metal on metal, and she knew that the pink-haired soldier was locked in battle as well.

It occurred to her then that she could go and help them. If she fought with them, they might stand a chance of distracting Anima long enough to make him lower the barrier and allow them to escape.

Grasping her staff, Vanille started to rise. Then she faltered; her hand froze around the handle. Vanille sank to her knees. Her hand slipped from the staff's shaft, and her head lowered to her chest.

It was no use. She knew she could not help them. Helping them meant leaving Hope, and the battle was doomed to failure anyway. Only l'Cie would stand a chance against the indomitable fal'Cie.

And what l'Cie could stand up their fal'Cie?

* * *

The air reverberated with the clash of metal. The chamber was lit with the flash of gunfire. The floating crystals performed an intricate dance as they veered out of the way of those battling below.

Debris from the wrecked Manipulators littered the floor. Drawing all the broken pieces together, Anima reassembled them for the third time. Each piece slotted back into place and, once complete, the columns whirred in the air.

Anima had no face that the humans could see, but if he had it would have looked impressed. For he _was_ impressed. The three humans before him had no chance of defeating him; a fact each one of them knew. Yet they continued to fight anyway, even though they knew it would only end in defeat.

He sent forth the Manipulators. Knowing the drill by now, the trio ducked and dodged as the columns zipped past them. The air twinkled as the crystals shifted about, casting their twinkling light upon the chamber, making it appear almost like a starlit sky.

As he expected, once the Manipulators had finished their pass the blond-haired fighter rushed in for the attack. The one with the guns covered his attack by firing up at Anima. With only a gesture the fal'Cie summoned the two Manipulators to guard him, and the bullets bounced harmlessly off. In that same gesture the Manipulators struck, and the fighter was knocked to the ground once again.

Now it was the soldier's turn. There was an intense anger in her eyes as she charged at the fal'Cie. Anima summoned the Manipulators again, but the swordswoman expertly dodged around and broke through his guard. She lunged, the point of her sword aiming for the crystal heart in Anima's torso. The blade hit with a clang and slid straight off the crystal, leaving not even a mark in its surface.

Without even waiting for the fal'Cie's counterattack, the soldier shifted her position and lunged again. Once more her blade scraped off the crystal. Despite her failure, Anima only saw her determination grow. She was fierce, determined and wilful. She had great physical strength and endurance, with a control over both herself and her blade that set her apart from the other humans.

The fighter possessed the same level of strength as the soldier, and the same determination as well. Though he knew nothing of the humans, he knew they both fought for something they wanted to protect. His control was weaker than the soldier's, making him prone to rash and impulsive attacks. Those only served to his advantage, however, giving him the upper edge in dealing out blows the soldier would otherwise avoid.

The one with the guns was different altogether. He had appeared hesitant at first, striking only to defend the other two. But now he fought with everything he had, as though he had resigned himself to his fate and was giving his all for those final moments.

Letting his gaze drift from the battle, Anima looked over at the corridor where Hope and Vanille were still hiding. The girl was crouching, her face fearful and uncertain, undecided as to what she should do. The boy cowered, lost in his fears. There was pain there, Anima sensed, as well as grief and anger. But there was also great potential, Anima sensed, if the boy had but the courage to use it.

Anima returned his attention to the battle at hand. The trio had used his momentary distraction to their advantage. The soldier and the fighter had teamed up to take on one of the spinning Manipulators. The fighter struck it with his fist and sent it hurtling towards his companion. With a single slash of her sword, the woman cut the column in two.

The two halves spun wildly through the air. One crashed into the far wall, exploding into a cloud of flame

The other half spun towards the fal'Cie. Anima called the other Manipulator to him, creating a barrier. The two Manipulators collided and exploded. Flames engulfed the fal'Cie, covering him like a vast shield. With a sweep of his hand, Anima banished the flames. He lowered his body towards the ground, letting his arm hang by his side.

The humans had passed the test. All that was left was to seal their fate.

* * *

Seeing the fal'Cie lower down, Lightning raised her sword. "Now!" she cried.

The soldier ran towards the fal'Cie. Snow was close behind her. The fal'Cie waited before them, seemingly immobilised. Snow pulled ahead of Lightning and drew back his fist. Lightning leapt, her gunblade raised above her head.

Neither strike landed. Before the pair could land their blows, a brilliant white light shot out from the fal'Cie's crystal heart. An invisible force hit the pair and sent them flying back across the chamber. Lightning hit the ground and rolled and then, strangely, fell through the air again. Before she could wonder at how that could possibly be, another force caught hold of her and held her fast.

The light withdrew from the chamber. They were no longer in the throne room, but somewhere else altogether. Lightning looked around as her panicked mind tried to figure out what was happening.

She appeared to have fallen into a void. How was a mystery, and she assumed it could only have been caused by the fal'Cie. The chamber walls with their static monitors were gone, replaced by looming walls covered in dark black-green light. The only light came from a gigantic crystal hanging many feet above them, appearing to form out of the darkness itself.

She was not alone in this dismal place. Snow was nearby, writhing as he tried to shake himself free of whatever was holding him in place. Sazh was here too, as well as Hope and Vanille.

"Where are we?" the soldier asked. Her voice did not echo and faded away from her.

Lightning tried to turn but found herself unable to move freely, giving her the strangest impression that she was trying to wade through thick syrup. As though reinforcing that image, a foul, metallic taste filled her mouth. There was something unnatural about this place, of that she was sure. Panic threatened to overwhelm her but Lightning quickly pushed those fears away. _Stay calm,_ she told herself.

At that moment the sound of a bell chime reverberated throughout the void. More chimes followed, making Lightning wince as they pounded through her head.

"What's going on?" demanded Snow.

Before anyone could reply, the crystal above them began to glow. A light shone from below in response, matching the light above. Looking down, Lightning saw that there was another crystal far below them. The light grew brighter and then shot upwards in a wave to strike the crystal above. The crystal shattered, filling the chamber with light.

Bells emerged out of the light. Each booming chime sent waves of pain rippling throughout the grip. Sazh cried out and covered his ears, but he could not blot out the sound. It pierced his flesh and his mind. His very soul reverberated with the chimes. His hands lost their grip on the guns, which slipped from his grasp and drifted into the darkness. Lightning also lost her hold on her gunblade. She reached for it, but it sank into the void and out of her reach.

When the light faded, a new being appeared. Emerging from the light, a new being uncurled and rose up before them.

He was a monstrous being, so large he dwarfed even the fal'Cie. Fal'Cie or god, they did not know which. All they knew was that he was different from Anima in every way. Unfathomable power radiated from every part of his being. It closed in around Lightning and her companions, filling them with fear.

The being looked down at them. His face, half-covered by a metal mask, was cold and unfeeling. His one visible eye moved over them. Unable to stand looking into his piercing gaze, the companions turned their heads away.

The bells chimed faster. Without even a gesture, the being called forth tendrils of pure green energy and sent them whipping down towards the defenceless humans. Lightning tried to pull away but was unable to move fast enough. The tendrils wrapped around her body like chains. Their touch was like ice, burning her flesh until she felt her soul would freeze over. Around her she heard the cries of Snow and the others as they too were caught by the fal'Cie's chains.

Despite the cold, Lightning struggled against her bonds. Her efforts only served to tighten their hold on her, squeezing her until she could only gasp in pain. Even so she did not give up her struggle, fighting against them to the last.

The being held out his hand. A white light glowed in his palm and more tendrils fired out. These were different from the others—glowing with a more intense light. The first struck Lightning in her chest, over her heart. Burning pain replaced the coldness of her bonds, and she threw back her head in a silent scream.

The remaining tendrils struck each of the others in turn. Snow's landed on his left arm. Gritting his teeth against the pain, he watched as an image was burnt onto his skin—that of a Pulse brand.

His task complete, the great being raised his head. The tendrils withered and faded, releasing Snow and his companions. With nothing left to hold them up, the companions dropped down into the darkness. The being, no longer interested in them, returned to the darkness of the void.

As he fell into the darkness, Snow's eyes stared sightlessly above him. A shiver ran through his body, replaced by a burning fever.

An image swept across his vision, overtaking all else. A vision of a dark and terrible monster, all-powerful and all-terrible, filled the essence of his mind. He could not see it clearly, but he knew it at once for what it was. The beast threw back its head, roaring in triumph.

Then he saw Cocoon covered in flame as it fell from the skies, heading down towards the cursed land of Pulse. The terrifying beast fell with it, as though dragging the cocoon from the skies.

* * *

On the fal'Cie's demise, the Vestige began to change. Giant shards of crystal burst out of the structure, covering it in a thick shell. They snapped the cables holding the Vestige in place, causing the structure to shudder and jerk downwards.

Too late the PSICOM commander realised the danger. In desperation he shrieked into his communicator for the troops to withdraw, but a strange static smothered the airwaves and cut off his warnings.

The crystals glowed and then exploded. A shockwave of light ripped through the Hanging Edge. A second shockwave followed it, this one more physical. When it ripped through the Hanging Edge it broke through walkways, snapped cables, and tore bridges apart from their foundations. Hanging structures broke from their poles and tumbled headlong into the chasm. Ships unable to get away fast enough were tossed aside like dolls.

The cables holding the Vestige in the air snapped. Released from its burden, the airship swerved and crashed straight into a nearby pillar, blasting into flame.

With nothing left to hold it, the Vestige fell from the sky.

It emerged from the Hanging Edge and crashed into the waters of Lake Bresha. The impact caused the waters to churn and froth. Large waves formed and crashed around the Vestige. Yet even as they formed, a shimmering light passed over them and they froze in mid-fall, transforming into the purest blue-white crystal. Nothing was spared, not even flame. Everything the light touched was changed forever into cold crystal.

When the light had reached as far as it could go, it turned back upon itself. It hit the Vestige and swept over it until it, too, changed into eternal crystal.


	14. Interlude: A Wish Come True

_**AUTHORESS'S NOTE**_

_Following information from a reviewer, I have amended the previous chapter. As always, if anyone spots errors of any kind, do let me know and I will correct them._

_~Grace_

* * *

**Final Fantasy XIII**

**Grace Barton**

**A Wish Come True**

"_When I couldn't see a future, and I was afraid…_

…_When the future was clear, and it hurt to see…_

…_I'd just close my eyes, and lose myself in happier days."_

* * *

The night of the fireworks display was a special night in the town of Bodhum. It was the night all of Cocoon looked forward to and always succeeded in drawing hundreds of tourists to the seaside town every year. There were celebrations, festivals, and the whole city was filled with joy and laughter. It was a night when Bodhum was at its best, and people were at their happiest.

No one could ever have imagined how their lives would change in just one night.

But for now the town was at peace, and the people of Bodhum were happily enjoying the traditional fireworks display. The customary dome was set up just off the coast. The dome flashed with colour as dozens of fireworks were set off inside, lighting it up with a brilliant luminance. No sparks penetrated the dome's energy-based shell, ensuring that every wondrous moment was captured and held inside.

Already the beach was filled with people, both tourists and regular citizens. Few people could resist coming to watch these fireworks. There was something mystical about them, they said, that drew people to come and watch them. Even those who had seen the fireworks many times before could not keep themselves away.

This was a busy time of year for the shopkeepers of Bodhum, but perhaps none more-so than Lebreau's café. The café was situated on the shores directly opposite the dome, giving spectators a perfect view of the display. This meant that dozens of customers flocked through her doors, ordering drinks and plates of Lebreau's special dish. Lebreau served each customer with a smile. Though it was busy, she was thoroughly enjoying herself.

This year seemed exceptionally busy, and Lebreau had been run off her feet all afternoon. There must be something in the air, she had wondered, to draw so many people to Bodhum now of all times. She was the only one who felt the enthusiasm, however. Her friends, Maqui especially, had complained nonstop.

Now the crowds were thinning, the service in the café was returning to its usual level. Lebreau dismissed her friends, and Maqui did not bother to hide his relief. Finally finding time to breathe, Lebreau was able to slow down and pay more attention to her customers.

Right then she was serving a woman she had never seen before in Bodhum. The woman had said she was from out of town, and Lebreau could believe it. She had never seen such unusual clothes before, and the woman had an exotic, almost wild look to her.

She was just fixing up a drink for this particular woman when the café doors opened. Looking up, Lebreau smiled as she saw Snow stumble in, almost knocking over two young girls in the process.

"Whoa! Excuse me!" Snow said, squeezing past them.

The girls smiled and went on their way. Lebreau heard them muttering excitedly as they left and smiled. The tall leader of NORA was always very popular with the ladies, but she knew their dreams were fruitless. Snow's heart already belonged to someone else.

"Oh, you just missed her," she called to Snow, who was casting his eyes around the café. "She said she'd be at the 'usual' place."

Snow laughed, aware that his cheeks were flushing. "Thanks," he said, and headed back out the door.

Lebreau, still smiling, turned back to the customer she was serving. "Sorry about that," she said to the woman. Finishing up the cocktail the woman had ordered, Lebreau pushed the glass towards her. "Now, who'd you say you were looking for?"

The woman did not respond right away. With a swipe of her hand she brushed her thick, dark hair from her face, lifted the glass to her lips, and sipped it gently.

* * *

As the café doors swung shut behind him, Snow jumped off the steps and landed on the beach. It would normally have seemed odd for buildings to be built right up against the beach, but the fal'Cie, who controlled everything, even down to the weather, always made sure that the wind never blew strong enough to send the sand up against the buildings.

Instead of heading off, Snow took a moment to look up at the fireworks. There was a legend in Bodhum, saying that the fireworks set off this night had the power to grant wishes. It was an old legend, and no one really took it seriously. Yet it did not stop people from coming to Bodhum every year and wishing upon the fireworks in the hope that their wish might be granted.

Snow was among these people. He had made wishes on the fireworks every year for as long as he could remember. Most of the time they were silly, selfish wishes, and of course not one of them was granted. It did not stop him from hoping, though, that this year might just be the year when his wish came true.

This was one of those years. For the first time in his life, he had a serious wish to make of the wish-granting fireworks. It was one that mattered a great deal to him. He didn't know what he would do if it did not come true.

Closing his eyes, Snow made his wish. Though the fireworks did not change, he would have sworn he felt them respond. Opening his eyes again, he sucked in a breath and smacked his fists together.

"Here goes!" he said, and he set off across the beach.

It did not take him long to find her. Despite what Lebreau said, Serah had several 'usual' spots. Her most favourite of these was the pier that stood opposite NORA house. She could sit there for ages, just watching the ocean go by. But on nights like this, when the beach was crowded and noisy, she preferred to go to a much quieter place.

He soon spotted Serah on the promenade running close to the beach. As he expected there was no one else around, and Serah stood alone. Her eyes were closed, and she had her hands clasped over her heart.

As always, seeing Serah made Snow's heart race inside his chest. He had never been in love before. At least, not _true_ love. But now he understood what people were talking about. Being with Serah made him feel more alive than he had done in all his life. It did not matter whether they walked or talked, laughed or argued, or even just sat in silence. All that mattered was being together. Snow just wanted to be by Serah's side, from now until the end of time itself.

Finally plucking up the courage, Snow walked up to her. "Making a wish?" he asked her.

Serah jumped, but relaxed as she saw Snow. "Maybe I was," she laughed.

She stepped aside, inviting Snow to come and join her by the rail. Snow took her up on the offer and stood beside her. The two were silent for a moment. Serah's fingers drummed the railing, and she leant back.

"I was hoping that tomorrow I could tell my sister," she admitted. "She'll be so mad, knowing I hid it from her."

"Don't worry," Snow assured her. "I'll take the blame for you."

Serah had no doubt that he would. He was like that. Even though it was not his fault at all, he would take the blame if it meant she would not get into trouble. It made her feel guilty to think that he would go so far for her. A look of pain crossed her face, and she turned her head away.

Snow did not seem to notice. "You know, you should ask for something bigger," he told her. "These are wish-granting fireworks, like in the stories."

"Stories, huh?" she whispered. Her hand strayed to her arm. A bandage had been wrapped around her bicep, but there was no injury to protect. At least, not an injury of the usual kind. Clutching the bandage, she clenched her fingers.

Offshore, the fireworks continued to light up the night sky. But their beauty was marred by the sense of pain and rising unease coming from the young woman. Serah rubbed her shoulders, fighting off the sudden chill that gripped her. Taking a breath, she let it out slowly.

"L'Cie who fulfil their Focus," she began, "they become crystal and gain eternal life."

Snow leant against the rail, watching the fireworks. "Would help if they gave you some clue about what you're supposed to do."

Serah did not answer. Snow looked over at her. Her slight body was trembling, and she hugged her body tight. Seeing her suffering like this, Snow felt a surge of anger at the Pulse fal'Cie who had cursed her. It was bad enough that the fal'Cie had branded her, but it had also failed to give her any clues as to what task it wanted her to complete. How could she complete her Focus when she did not even know what it was?

He pushed himself off the railing. Taking her by her thin shoulders, which seemed much thinner in his larger hands, he turned her around to face him.

"We'll figure this thing out," he promised. "You will never be one of those monsters."

Serah did not look comforted. Pushing his hands off, she turned away again. "So what will I be?" she asked him, her voice bitter. "A crystal?" Tears welled in her eyes. She tried to hold them back but failed, and they fell down her cheeks.

Snow heard her sobs. His lips pressed into a line, and he delved into his pocket. "Yesterday at the store, I got us something," he said. "I don't know much about jewellery, but… I hope you like it."

Serah turned back. Snow held out his hand. Two necklaces dangled from his fingers. They were a pair, an identical set. The necklaces were made of polished silver and made to resemble Cocoon's great shell. The shell was even 'broken' to show the scars from the War of Transgression and, in the cores, there were glittering crystals. Both spheres had coiled spirals running around them, tapering off into points. They were almost like spiralling pillars holding Cocoon aloft. Serah gasped. They were beautiful.

When he saw the look in her eyes, Snow knew he had made the right choice. Up until this moment he had been so worried that he had messed up. He had never bought jewellery for a woman before. It was also not the most conventional gift for what he had in mind.

He nodded to Serah. She obligingly turned around and held her hair up as Snow placed one of the chains around her neck. The crystal globe was cold against her skin. Closing the clasp, he let it fall against her. Serah looked down at it. Her fingers brushed the delicate spiral.

She turned back to Snow. He had just finished putting on the other necklace. Now they both wore the matching necklaces. She started to thank him but, seeing the serious look in his eyes, her words faded away.

Snow stepped forward. "I will stand by you," he said, "no matter what happens. I'm yours forever." He stepped closer. "Serah. My one. My only."

All of a sudden he dropped onto his knees. Serah took a step back in surprise. Putting his hand on his heart, Snow lowered his head.

"Will you marry me?" he asked.

Serah's eyes widened. She felt her heart leap into her throat. Her face lit up and she smiled, clasping her hands over her heart. "Yes," she said.

Snow's head snapped up. The same joy filled his own face as he then jumped into the air, his fists raised to the sky.

"She said 'yes'!" he cried.

Laughing jubilantly, he gathered Serah into his arms. She threw her own arms around him, also laughing as he spun her around. The tears and the worries were forgotten in this moment of happiness, as the two lovers made their promise beneath the light of the fireworks.

* * *

Some time later, when the excitement of the moment had passed, Snow took Serah onto his air-cycle and drove it across the ocean. The fireworks were still going, continuing to light up the night sky. Eden, Cocoon's skyward capital, shone down on them from above, but none paid attention to the city this night. All eyes were on the fireworks, including those on the air-cycle.

Serah sat in Snow's lap, her legs draped over the side of the cycle. She had no fears about falling, for Snow was there to catch her. Every now and then she touched the necklace to make sure it was still there, and to reassure herself that this moment was not a dream, but reality.

Snow drove the air-cycle close to the base of the sphere. He then slowed it until the vehicle lightly scraped the top of the water.

"Got to love these fireworks," he said to Serah. "They granted my wish."

"Your wish?"

Snow nodded. "Before I asked you to marry me. I wished that you would say 'yes'."

Serah smiled. She should have known that Snow would have wished for something like that. He didn't need to. She would have said yes, either way. Lowering her gaze, she peered down into the water. The ocean churned as the cycle moved over it, causing their reflections to ripple and break.

"Then maybe they'll grant mine too," she said in a low voice.

"What's that?"

Serah looked up. "To have the courage to tell Lightning that I've become a l'Cie."

Putting his arm around her shoulder, Snow pulled her close. "Hey, our engagement is way bigger news!" he scolded her with a smile. He chuckled. "Oh man, I can't wait to see her face," he added, remembering the disapproving look in Lightning's eyes on the day they met. He smiled at the memory, but then his eyes widened as a thought struck him. "She'll be my new sister," he realised.

Serah laughed and nodded. "Yeah."

Snow laughed as well. Lightning was _not_ going to be happy when she realised this; that she would have Snow as a brother. In fact the very first and only time they met, Lightning had warned him to stay away from her sister. He had not told Serah about their meeting, and since she had not brought it up he guessed Lightning hadn't either.

It was probably a good thing. It was obvious that Lightning did not like him, even before she remembered that she had seen him with Serah before. That knowledge only reinforced her opinion of him; that he was a wastrel who should be cast aside quickly. Despite his efforts he had been unable to impress her. So news of his engagement to Serah was not going to go down well.

He had wanted to tell Serah everything that happened, but found that he couldn't. Serah had enough worries already; being a l'Cie was just one of them.

Feeling restless, Snow revved the engine and sent the air-cycle flying towards the dome. Serah clutched Snow's coat as the vehicle collided with it. The sphere rippled as the cycle passed through, and then they were inside.

A firework exploded right in front of them. Blue sparks showered over them, flickering like starlight.

"Whoa!" exclaimed Snow.

He drove the cycle to the heart of the display. Serah leant forward and peered up as more fireworks exploded overhead. Coloured rain filled the dome, shining for brief moments before flickering out of existence. Her breath caught in her throat. She thought the fireworks looked magical before, but they looked even better up close. Turning her head around she took in every sight, her eyes filled with awe.

Her gaze turned, eventually, onto Snow. Seeing him up close as he was made her own heart swell and rise until she felt it would explode. Until she met Snow, she had thought all the stories about love were just fiction. Now she knew otherwise. She loved him; loved him more than anything else in the world.

"Hey, Snow?"

Snow, who had been watching the fireworks, turned to face her. "Yeah?" he asked.

She leant forward. Snow did the same. But before they could meet, a firework exploded right beneath them. It caused the air-cycle to jerk upwards and tilt dangerously to one side. Serah shrieked, clutching at Snow.

"What the—!" he cried.

Grasping the controls, Snow pulled the vehicle into a steep climb. The air-cycle shot up through the display until it exited through the top of the sphere. Once they were clear Snow levelled it off. "That was close," he said, peering down.

Serah began to laugh. Snow grinned, and then he was laughing with her. Adrenalin and love made them forget the dangers they had put themselves in. Instead they relished in the moment they had shared together.

Eventually the laughter faded. Serah sobered and turned her eyes back to the fireworks. "Gorgeous," she whispered. "Our own private heaven."

"All we need—just you and me," said Snow.

Serah turned to him. Her eyes filled with hope—and love. The same love was in Snow's eyes as he looked back at her. Before he could say anything, Serah leant in close and kissed him softly. Snow stiffened in surprise but then relaxed, enjoying the moment.

Serah pulled away and gazed into his eyes. Snow reached up to touch her face. She pressed her cheek against his fingers. Snow then pulled her to him and kissed her again. They remained together longer this time, trying to keep hold of this one moment when they were together, as one.

But like all moments, they had to come to an end. When the kiss ended Serah lowered her head. Tears welled in her eyes and began to fall down her cheeks. Her shoulders shook as she began to cry. Snow, his heart aching, pulled her close.

For Serah was a l'Cie. He could not change her fate. But he vowed to do everything he could to protect her, and he would be by her side until the end. He would not allow her to become a Cie'th. Even if he had to kill the fal'Cie to save her, he would do it. He would protect her, always.

As though hearing his unspoken thoughts, Serah clutched him. She closed her eyes, her soft voice cutting through the blast of the fireworks below.

"Thank you, Snow."

* * *

**Coming Next:**

**Part Three: Branded**


End file.
